


Take me to the Riot

by Sharkastic



Category: Life Is Strange
Genre: Angst, F/F, Mystery, Other, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-04-28 04:07:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 48,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5077171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharkastic/pseuds/Sharkastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For her senior year, Max decides to return to her roots in small town Arcadia Bay, hoping that she can finally make something of herself. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as she imagined it. The quiet town she left behind five years ago isn't at all what it seems to be... and either are the people she encounters. (Highschool AU with heavy Chasefield.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all,  
> Originally posted on FF.net but decided to pop over to AO3 and check it out.  
> Please note that the first two chapters were originally written as a demo of sorts long before I posted my fic, thus they aren't my best writing. But they got some positive feedback so I decided to reboot it and build from there. The fic now is currently around 30k words and not even close to being finished. You've been warned.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (still getting used to AO3 so please let me know if there's any formatting errors! cheers)

The moving truck jerked as it switched out of reverse and swung out of the parking lot, no doubt on a call to catch any last minute move-ins for tardier students.

Max watched it fade into the distance as it rounded a bend past the tall strand of pines. An orange glaze was cast out over the bay, and the faint crisp breeze jostled the yellowing leaves of the surrounding aspen. The change of scenery from the usual city-scape had already proven to be quite pleasant so far.

Fall was definitely her favorite season. The ever-changing amber hues and soft lighting from the receding summer was always bound to gift some amazing shots. Not to mention she could finally wear some cozy knits again and not be a balmy, sweaty mess. She inhaled the chill air deeply, donning a wide care-free grin on her face.

 _Fuck yeah, sweater weather_.

Students and families milled about in the parking lot like worker ants, hustling to get settled in and ready for the upcoming school year. She watched as a group of old friends reunited, bumping fists, hugging, laughing and jesting at one another. Her chest ached for the sense of belonging that was being displayed. It was a gamble coming here for her senior year, but the opportunity was too promising for her to pass up. Blackwell Academy was well known for it's prestigious senior programs, especially in photography. She could vividly remember the disbelief and tears of joy that occurred upon receiving her acceptance with a full scholarship.

She took out her signature polaroid camera from her messenger bag and snapped a quick photo of a back-turned student. He waved as his parents took off in to the receding daylight, in what she assumed was the good ol' family van.

_That's so cute, I wish we could've had a van like that and done some fun family roadtrips while growing up.._

Her smile broadened, and she allowed herself a few more moments to admire the scene a bit longer. There was a charming quality to the energy and restrained quiet excitement that was around the campus on the big move-in day.

_I can't believe I'm going to be living on my own this year._

"Um,  _Hello_? Generally people use the path for walking, not  _gawking_."

Max fumbled with her camera and turned, quickly giving the fresh polaroid an instinctual shake before putting it in the dark recesses of her bag. She looked up and swallowed, the sharply feminine voice having instilled a sense of fear in her. The girl was a good few inches taller than her, and had an extremely unimpressed scowl pulled tight across her face.

"S-Sorry," She glanced at the men with boxes and dollies just past the girl, movers, she supposed, "I didn't mean to block the way. I was just uh.."

_Helloooo Max, come on, words.._

"Trying to snap a photo of me? I don't blame you," She quipped, winking and grinning down at Max smugly, "Get in line behind everyone else. But first, get out of the way or I'll get these beefheads to run you over."

Max simply blinked for a moment, unsure of what to even respond to. She found herself stunned at the girl's brazen confidence and assertion.

"Yeah o-of course.. Just let me, uh."

She put her camera back in her bag and knelt down, hastily gathering the last few boxes that the moving truck she hired had deposited for her. The brunette stood warily, as the boxes were tiered unevenly. But before she could stop it from happening, the top one spilled over between the two of them.

The taller blonde snorted, unable to refrain from laughter at Max's clumsy and awkward display, "Polaroids? What kind of hipster crap is that? Do you know what year it is?"

Max blushed furiously. Of course she was going to be a total klutz and publicly embarrass herself before her first day of classes even started. So much for her grand entrance as the new, mysterious, cool and collected artsy kid.

_So long, Max 2.0. Welcome back to loserdom._

She put her other boxes back down and started gathering up the pool of photos from the pavement, quickly forgetting and not bothering to offer the other student a response in defense.

/

Victoria stared in disbelief at the display before her. She couldn't being to fathom how flustered this girl was. Starting from the stuttering and ending with the classic nerdy dropped books scenario, albeit in photo form. But her disapproving scowl softened as she watched the brunette hide her face behind her shaggy hair as she set about cleaning up her mess.

"Mike? Todd?"

Her slate-green eyes shot them a piercing look, "Go ahead to my room. You should  _hopefully_  know where it is by now, if you're not all just brawn."

They kept their mouths shut and nodded, brushing off her dig only because they knew her parents were paying a pretty penny. They didn't dare offend her by retorting. She didn't look like someone they'd ever desire to get in to a verbal spat with anyhow.

She sighed, chewing on the bottom of her lip before making the decision to kneel down and start collecting the photos that had fluttered out around her, pausing a moment to, as much as she hated to admit it, admire a few of the shots. For polaroids they were pretty impressive. No further editing could be done in such a format, and each captured moment had it's own charm even if they weren't technically perfect. They all shared a loopy mess of writing on the back of dates and names, memos jotted here and there.

The poised blonde thrust the handful of photos at the other girls face, "Here, miss 'Maxine'," she rang out in a sharp mocking tone.

"It's just Max." Her voice was laced with defeat, and the look on her face was sunken inwardly in thought as she took the photos and stuffed them carelessly back in the box.

_Such a great, warm welcome to Blackwell Academy. You better get used to it._

The brunette kept her gaze to the concrete as she played with the folds of the cardboard flaps, probably waiting for Victoria to leave so she could sulk and trudge back to her room in shame.

She sucked on her teeth, feeling a slight twinge of regret at her behavior. She  _hated_  that she allowed herself to feel bad. Guilt never served any purpose but was still commonplace for her, and yet her habits never changed.

 _Maybe I'm secretly a bit of a masochist_.

She let the thought roll over and plucked the box out of Max's hands and rose, nodding her head down the path.

"We're headed the same way anyway." She offered lamely.

Max just stared at her uneasily for a moment before standing up with the other boxes, shifting her hole-ridden sneakers against the faded pavement sheepishly.

"Thanks."

The corners of Victoria's lips turned down slightly, "Don't mention it," she huffed, before stalking past Max towards the dorms, "Seriously."

/

Max held back, watching as the other girl took off before trailing after her.

_Well I guess she's moved on from making fun of me to taking pity on me._

The taller girl was, to say in the least, gorgeous. Without a doubt she was a part of the popular crowd around here. She had a neatly cropped pixie cut that accentuated her pointed jawline and long delicate neck. A gold linked necklace adorned it, with a jeweled key pendant bobbing back and forth as she moved. She was wearing a highly tailored black floral print blouse and yellow skirt, with a pair of sharp looking heels that were far beyond Max's fashion comprehension. They probably cost more than her entire wardrobe.

She suddenly felt severely underdressed and even more awkward in her faded pink hoodie, t-shirt, sneakers and jeans combo.

_Yup, definitely not making any big progress on being Max 2.0._

"What room number are you?"

Max snapped her head up, so lost in thought that she hadn't even registered they were already in the girls dormitories, "Uh, 219, to the left."

It was a wonder that she could do that, and it always ended up getting her in trouble. They'd even gone up a flight of stairs. It was as if for brief lapses of time, she simply ceased to exist in space.

As they ascended the stairwell and made their way around the corner, Victoria clicked her tongue in declaration.

"Well hey neighbor. Looks like you're right across from me."

"Oh," Max said dumbly, instantly regretting it as the taller girl shot her a look.

She quickly busied herself with struggling open her door and proceeded to pile her boxes on top of her desk, seeing as the rest of her belongings already inhabited her bed. She let out a heavy sigh; glad to finally be in her own space. The brunette turned, remembering her company. Victoria leaned lazily in the doorway holding her last box. It was if she was trying to look as disinterested as possible, casting her eyes to the blank walls rather than any of Max's belongings, as if they were the most telling thing there.

She approached her meekly, "Um, thanks again," She delicately lifted the box from Victoria's hands and placed it on the floor beside her bed, immediately taking out an old photo and contemplating an appropriate placement for it in her room. She supposed her guest would leave after that, but was instead greeted again with her voice.

"Some of those are actually pretty good," Victoria suddenly blurted.

Max glanced over at her, taken aback by the half-compliment.

The taller girl looked away and frowned, "You must be in the photography program too then. So I guess you'll be competing against me for the year. Good luck with that."

Max quirked a brow, "Since when is photography a competition?"

"Oh  _hah_ ," Her face immediately soured, "Don't give me some hipster bullshit about it being all about the art. The best man wins, and the rest bum for change outside of Starbucks." She turned to leave, "Anyway. Thanks for the evening entertainment."

"Wait, I'm not trying to offend you, I just… ugh,"

_Stupid. Why do I even speak?_

Victoria hesitantly paused just outside the doorway, shooting an impatient look over her shoulder.

"I didn't catch your name. If we're classmates we might as well get to know each other, right?"

The blonde laughed exasperatedly, as if Max had just performed some kind of obscene comedy routine for her. She found the reaction rather puzzling to be frank.

"Victoria Chase. That's all you need to know about me," She raised her chest, resting her weight to one side as she planted her hands on her hips, "We're classmates, not friends, Maxine." She left promptly after that, closing the door behind her and leaving Max alone to her thoughts.

She could hear the click of Victoria's door as it shut across from hers. Not even ten feet separated them from each other. She was going to be stuck across from the resident ice queen for the rest of the year. Great.

_Still, it was nice that she even helped me out after the fact. And she complimented my photos. Someone with taste like hers, that has to mean something at least._

Max set about trying to clear a spot on her bed before ultimately giving up and flopping down on top of a heap clothes. She slid off the shoulder strap of her messenger bag and took out the photo she snapped earlier. The student was a dark shadow silhouetted against the dying sunlight blanketing the bay area, and the chrome of the departing van glinted brilliantly in response to the farewell. She slid it back in her bag, hoping she could show it off to some other student who hadn't already brushed her off like Victoria seemed to have.

_Well, so much for trying to be popular this year._


	2. Chapter 2

_Muscle to muscle,_

Victoria groaned, flailing an arm out at her nightstand to find her phone.

_And toe to toe,_

_My fear has gripped me,_

The phone fell to the floor with a soft thud, only causing Victoria to feel even more agitated. She didn't think that was possible at such an early hour considering it was when she was already at her grouchiest.

_But here I go._

_My heart sinks as-_

She swiped at the screen to unlock it, and stared dismally at the abrasively bright device blinking back at her with the image of Beyoncé.

5:45AM. Time to get back in to her routine. She sighed, dreading the morning before it even started.

She had stayed out later than she had intended to last night, hanging out and blazing with a few members of the Vortex Club to kick off the beginning of the school year. She didn't really want to go, but she had an appearance to uphold, even though they had already shot the shit in the courtyard together most of the day and skipped orientation. It became a tradition for them after her first year at Blackwell. Nathan had snagged her by the arm in the hallway on her way to homeroom, only offering her a snide remark of,  _"Seriously?"_ before leading her off and introducing her to the rest of the crew. She had met him prior to the beginning of the year, and he had instantly decided she was Vortex material.

When they first settled in to their new home (one of many, albeit,) over the summer, a neighbouring estate belonging to the prestigious Prescrott family had invited her family over for dinner. Apparently they had known each other and met through previous galleries her parents had exhibited and were excited at the prospect of finally getting some  _"Sophisticated and refined company"_  settling in their small town. At first, Nathan and her had been rather stand-offish. Then they settled in to quipping at each other and after his initial shock, he garnered an appreciation for her gusto to butt heads with him. It felt like eons ago.

The blonde tossed back the glass of water sitting on her nightstand with her daily supplementation, which was neatly tucked away in a little pink container with individually marked compartments; MTWTFSS.

She thrust herself out of her covers and hopped upright out of bed, reaching skywards to take a long deep stretch before bringing it back down to touch her toes and sway from side to side. Joints and muscles strained in response. She felt hella old for a soon to be 18 year old.

Her heather-gray running tights and a thin black pullover were already neatly folded and draped over the back of her chair waiting for her, and a pair of peach colored Swike's runners sat just beside her door in anticipation.

After promptly changing and swiping her headphones off of a hangar, she opened her door only to pause for a moment to laugh silently to herself at the display across from her.

It appeared that Max fancied herself as some sort of artist. A half-hazard interpretation of Totoro sheltering a dorky mini-Max with a leaf stared back at her from the brunette's whiteboard posted just outside her door.

_Of course she'd be the type to think herself so special and artsy to draw some cutesy Miyazaki crap._

/

Max yawned loudly, blinking the sleep from her eyes. The lingering memory of the strange dreams she had quickly receded away into nothingness as she became more aware of her surroundings. Gentle light filtered in through the drapes, and motes of dust danced about lazily in the still morning air.

She glanced over at her alarm clock, 7:12AM. She fist pumped in to empty space, smiling aloofly.

 _Alarm boss defeated_.  _+50 EXP_.

She turned it off before it could start chiming the Final Fantasy boss theme obnoxiously at 7:20, and curled herself upright in a wad of blankets.

Yesterday had seemed awfully uneventful. It was only a half-day, and mostly just a whirlwind introduction to all her classes. Introductions were made and syllabuses were passed around, and in homeroom at the start of the day they were given a brief tour of the campus.

Victoria was supposed to be in Max's homeroom, but didn't bother to show up. The teacher, an older man with a receding hairline and comically large gut protruding from his thin frame, didn't seem surprised in the least, crossing her name off before he even finished calling it out.

Max had  _somehow_  managed to make a fool of herself again. She had put her hand up at the end of attendance claiming she was missed, just to find that she had spaced out and didn't respond when her name was called. Some heads turned and students sniggered at her, and at that point she knew for sure popularity just wasn't going to be for her.

_Should've taken a crash course on how not to be a total social ditz over the summer._

Most of the students after that seemed to slowly filter out of the group, subtly finding ways to escape the orientation tour and go goof off with their friends. It was either a fairly commonplace procedure that the teachers were used to, or they just didn't care. Probably the latter.

At least she had met one person who went out of their way to make her feel welcome. They shared chemistry class together, which she had taken as her science elective hoping that it'd be at least somewhat interesting and more importantly, passable. He insisted on trading numbers with her so that they could help each other in case they missed out on any classes, but so far he only seemed to text her a barrage of questions she barely took the time to answer.

The campus was fairly easy to navigate as it was small compared to schools back in Seattle, and the rustic red bricks giving it a homey appeal made it feel even more cozy and petite. The only stark oddity she really found were the missing posters plastered everywhere.

_"Who's Rachel Amber?"_

Warren, her new supposed study buddy, shrugged solemnly after his initial surprise,  _"Oh, huh, I didn't know someone was still putting posters up. It's been a long time with no leads and most people kinda gave up on her... Which is pretty sad, she was super popular and nice to everybody unlike the remaining Vortex jerk-offs. Everyone liked her, but then she just kind of poofed early last year with zero explanation."_

She didn't think of it too much at the time, but had taken a copy of the poster off the bulletin board and had it sitting on her desk to peer over later.

With a final yawn, snapped herself out of her reverie and grabbed her shower bag hanging on her doorknob, quickly collecting a few stray articles of clothing that were strewn about her room to change in to.

On her way out, she glanced at Victoria's whiteboard across from her door. There was a quote written in delicately loopy and precise cursive that looked like it belonged on greeting cards, "Success is loving life and daring to live it."

It seemed oddly inspirational and optimistic for someone who was so outwardly bitchy to her peers.

The shared showers were surprisingly unkempt for only the third day on campus. Sharpie graffiti already adorned the walls in the form of crude digs and memes, and abandoned toiletries and garbage laid strewn about the floor. Teenaged girls were pretty gross creatures.

Max noticed Victoria standing at the far end of the bathroom in front of a mirror, perfecting her hair and make-up down to the finest of details of course. She quickly shuffled in to the shower stall farthest from her, hoping she wouldn't be noticed.

/

She felt more drained than usual after her morning run. Her calves burned from acid build-up and she felt a headache coming on from a lack of sleep and probably a little dehydration too. Dark circles hung underneath her eyes, staring back at her through the mirror mockingly. She only ran just under 7 kilometers out of her usual benchmark of 10 every morning.

Sighing, she combed her bangs in to deliberate soft peaks across her forehead resting just above her eyebrows, which were manicured to perfection. She tilted her head to different angles of light, checking her face over. She smiled to herself, remembering a brief comment Courtney made the other day about how her new short hairstyle suited her so well and made her look "S _ooo mature, and like, a total classy bitch"_.

Sure, they were higher than a breeze, but Victoria remembered it crystal clear. She normally didn't give a shit about the trivial crap that constantly spewed from Courtney's mouth, but something about how she said it just seemed so genuine.

_"_ _More like a total Dyke-zilla. Girls are way hotter when they have longer hair. I hate this fucking trendy 'andro' look that's in."_

She elbowed Nathan hard in the ribs at that. She knew to never take anything he said too seriously, but that time it stung a bit more than she should have allowed it to.

 _"_ _Yeah, too bad hot girls don't want to date you Nate."_ She had retorted. Everyone just laughed both comments off. The two of them were often like that to one another; a special sibling-like bond that gave them the lenience to lip each other off. Nobody else really dared to without expecting serious consequences.

Victoria cast a sidelong glance at the sound of flip-flops scuffing across the mis-matched tiled floor. Of course it was Max, who appeared to have just rolled out of bed like a total slob. Her signature shaggy hair was sticking upright at the back comically. She sneered. That girl was incredibly hopeless.

 _Appearances are everything_ , she could practically hear her mother saying to her in the back of her mind, like she had many times before during her adolescence.

Fixing her attention back on the mirror, she began applying concealer under her eyes to mask her current zombie-like state. Normally she didn't like to wear too much as her face already had well defined features,  _thankfully._  Her focus was mostly accentuating as naturally as she could what she already possessed to the finest of details, evening out any mishaps or flaws, sometimes finishing with a red lip if she was feeling particularly empowered. As she was blending and setting it in, the shower at the other end of the room had started running and she could hear faint humming between the pitter-patter of water battering the floor.

/

_Sleeplessly embracing_

_Butterflies and needles_

_Line my seamed-up join_

_Encased in case I need it_

"Is that Alt-J?"

Max's eyes bolted open and almost slipped in surprise, glad that she was tucked away in her stall so she could hide in her embarrassment. She didn't think that anyone would hear her over the sound of the shower, being as quiet as she was. Apparently Victoria just happened to have some kind of supernatural hearing ability.

"Yeah," She managed, before adding as an afterthought, "I didn't picture you to be the type to listen to Alt-J."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

_Shit._

"I, uh, I dunno. I just didn't expect you to have a taste for good alternative music. I mean, not that you'd have bad taste, but-" She stopped her stammering before she let herself dig her hole any deeper.

"Yeah, because you obviously set the standard for good taste. Look at me, I'm special fucking snowflake Maxine, I watch classic anime films and dress like a thirteen year old. "

Silence rang out between them in chorus with the steady rhythm of descending water. Max dropped her forehead against the wall, groaning internally. It was a wonder she was allowed in public.

_Why does she have to be so fucking bitchy? And she's a bit of a nerd too if she recognizes Totoro as an anime classic, hypocrite._

She finished her shower in sullen contemplation, turning off the faucet and running her towel back and forth over her hair to give it a quick dry and muss it up.

Pausing at the curtain, she deliberated on whether or not to wait for the blonde to leave.

"Hunger of the Pine, right? I prefer An Awesome Wave, personally."

Max caught herself smiling at that. Not entirely sure why, but she did regardless.

"Yeah, me too, but This is All Yours has its merits. I like to enjoy them quite separately rather than trying to compare though. If every album an artist released held the same weight, it'd get stale pretty fast."

"Whatever, nerd."

A zipper echoed through the room, and a purse's clasp snapped shut. Hard heels clicked away on the tiles before Max could even come up with a response.

She was getting some serious whiplash. She couldn't wrap her mind around Victoria at all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Past sequences are separated by backslashes, whereas character changes are separated by forward. Cheers!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Past sequences are separated by backslashes, whereas character changes are separated by forward. Cheers!

Time seemed to pass by in a lens blur. Day by day, various assignments and readings started to pile up, and before she knew it, her third week was already on its cusp. A few tests had been notched under her belt, and the workload was proving to be a bit suffocating.

The whole friends making gig wasn't going so well either. Being outgoing and putting herself out there wasn't exactly her forté. There was Warren, who she actually had quite a bit in common with on the geek side of things, but he always seemed way too eager and she found him a bit much at times. He had his heart in the right place, but unfortunately boiled down to being annoying with his obnoxious chivalry. She had the lingering feeling he was a little too invested in her.

There was also Kate, who sat beside her in photography lectures. Surprisingly, she was even more reserved than Max, and liked to keep to herself for the most part. She was really kind and gentle-natured though, always offering a smile and making polite conversation. Cute little sketches of cartoons adorned her notebooks, and occasionally Max could hear her playing violin down the hall in the mornings. The blue-eyed social blunder couldn't help but wish she could become better friends with her, but Kate never really seemed to be out and about around campus.

Max cast her gaze outside, watching as clouds morphed and unfurled from shape to shape in an intricate dance with the wind. It seemed to have been getting colder quite early this year. Or maybe she had just been gone for so long that she forgot what the weather here was like.

She unlocked her phone, reading over the last text she received from her parents again.

_Hey sweetheart._

_Hope you are adjusting well to school and making friends. Your mother says hi too, she has been quite uplifted lately, she is so proud of you off on your own! Just wanted to say an early Happy Birthday in case you go too crazy tonight and forget about us. Give us a call tomorrow if you aren't too hung-over. Ha ha. Please be responsible!_

_Love Dad xo_

She didn't feel like imposing herself on anybody and hadn't mentioned it was her birthday tomorrow. It didn't feel like she was close enough to anyone here to comfortably celebrate with. If Warren knew he'd probably make a huge ordeal out of it and she had no desire for an even more aggressive display of his affection. Kate would just feel bad, and she didn't want the short blonde worrying over her.

Her mind drifted back to past birthdays in Arcadia Bay with her best friend Chloe. She was more than content just having a sleepover, building forts with her then best friend and making birthday cake pancakes in the morning. Was she even still around? She should've graduated from Blackwell last year.

_I wonder if she's even the same person anymore… Would she still want to be friends with me if she was though? I kinda blew her off completely after moving._

"Miss Caulfield. If Tweeter is proving to be a better lecturer than I am, then perhaps you would like to excuse yourself if I'm wasting your time?"

She snapped her head up. The teacher stared back at her expectantly with a raised brow, but she could see the humor playing at the edges of his eyes.

"Er, s-sorry Mr. Jefferson. You have my full attention now," proving her point, she turned off her phone and tucked it away in her bag under the desk.

He nodded, "I'd hope so. You're really bright, Max. You just need to apply yourself more to your work."

Max blushed while he switched his attention back to his PowerPoint seamlessly, going over a brief history of black and white photography and how it was still relevant today. There was just something so cool about Mr. Jefferson and the way he presented himself so effortlessly. He was fairly laid back and spoke his mind freely, encouraging everyone to express themselves to their fullest. His presence seemed magnetic, and everyone regardless of gender seemed to pine after him in one way or another. She had to admit she had a bit of a crush on him as well.

"Ooh Jefferson, please pay attention to me!" Hushed laughter ensued.

"I'm on my phone, look how  _naughty_  I'm being," chimed in another voice.

The brunette clenched her jaw, wanting so badly to serve it right back at them and defend herself. Watching her tense, Kate gave her arm a gentle squeeze, offering a reassuring smile.

Nathan and Victoria continued to trade whispered insults with one another across from them while their lackeys laughed along.

If Victoria was the Blackwell queen bee, Nathan was the king of Arcadia Bay itself. Everyone seemed to cater to him because his dad was super rich and basically owned the entire town, and he took  _full_  advantage of it. Even teachers tended to look the other way at anything he did that would've ended in reprimanding or suspension for others. She saw him get pulled over just outside of school one time for speeding, and when the cop saw who it was he just tipped his hat and walked back to his cruiser and took off.

It was so fucking unfair that the rich got to tread over the rules like that. She fumed, changing her focus from the lecture to glaring over at Victoria. For being at the center of such belittling glee, something in the girl's eyes looked almost… bored.

After those first few times they bumped in to each other that were laced with a pseudo-friendly pity, she became a full-blown bitch to Max. And pretty much everyone for that matter. Whenever she was around her friends she was constantly in a state of harassing and bringing other people down.

 _You'd think someone who had anything they could ever want would have a bit more gratitude and be kinder_.

Green eyes shifted over and as much as Max wanted to duck away, she was feeling rather gutsy today. She held her ground, hardening her gaze back in response. She was in for it now.

Much to her surprise though, Victoria just looked back with an indiscernible expression before casting her focus back to her work, letting the interaction slide completely.

Max didn't know if she should be grateful, or if she should get to the nearest bunker and prepare for a total shit-storm later.

/

"S-s-so-o-oorr-r-r-y," Mocked Nathan, hardly restraining his laughter, "Like, does she have some kind of fucking speech impediment?"

"You're so bright with your weird quirky bullshit, Maxine! Just like a special little star.  _So_   _sooooo special_." She added, intoning something else entirely.

Taylor guffawed, hanging off of Nathan's arm, "Oh my god. And she has the same fashion sense as my younger brother, I swear. Maybe she should be held back a few years."

They all made rounds back and forth, soon forgetting Max and moving on to Kate (who had been one of their favorite targets before the super-freak Max appeared) and her permanent prude state not long after.

Victoria contributed just enough to appear like she was engaged, and laughed when appropriate. Truth was, she was tired and didn't feel like putting in the effort to be particularly mean today. The past few days she had been feeling restless, and the little sleep she got was really starting to put a strain on her.

In her daze, she suddenly felt her skin prick up in to a state of alertness. She was being watched. Eyes swept around for the source, landing in a sea of deep blue. The freckled perpetrator widened her eyes for a fraction of a second before steeling them again in anger.

Something about it was like taking a glimpse in to a mirror.

She held the contact for a moment before deciding it wasn't worth expending the energy to fight back. Instead she dropped her focus to her notebook, idly tapping her pen. She scanned over the notes she had taken in advance while hanging out with Nathan the day before.

_\_

_"_ _So, word is you haven't made any conquests yet."_

_She frowned, stretching herself out before sitting upright on the ledge of Nathan's bed, one knee tucked to her chest so she could prop up her chin lazily._

_He sat across from her waiting, swiveling nonchalantly back and forth in his desk chair._

_Victoria pressed a joint between her lips, closing her eyes and taking a slow drag, "And? It isn't even a month in to the semester."_

_"_ _Yeah, but you were also M.I.A. all of summer too. Did you go join Kate's cult and swear yourself away to an oath of celibacy or something?"_

_"_ _Give me a fucking break, Nate. Literally. I just came here to relax and get baked, not get barked at." She watched as his forehead pinched together, a snarl forming on his lips._

_"_ _You know, Jared said he didn't even remember having sex after he took you home," He paused to take the joint from her, "And oddly enough, I heard the same thing from Matt too."_

_She froze for a moment before regaining her composure._

_"_ _And it's my fault that they're stupid and got way too drunk to remember the best experience they'll ever have in their sad lives?"_

_He stopped spinning in his chair, slowly crushing the joint in his ashtray before leaning over on his knees to stare eye-level at her._

_"_ _Look. People in the Vortex Club are starting to talk, and not the good kind of talk either."_

_He leaned back, fixing his eyes to the ceiling and crossing his arms over his chest, "Either everybody wants you, or nobody wants you. So get back on your fucking A-game."_

_She flopped back on his bed in defeat, not bothering to grace him with a response. She knew he'd just feed off of whatever she could offer in retort and bend it right back at her. He was more of a pro at it then she was._

_His voice resounded again, the edge in it completely absent this time, "Is there anything you wanna tell me Vic?"_

_Her head rolled to the side to look back at him. She contemplated telling him. She really did. Despite all that was said and done, in the end of things he was her best friend. She could feel her throat working, trying to find words, but fear clutched tight in her chest and took over._

_"_ _No."_

_She swore she saw a flicker of hurt pass through his eyes before he grinned, brushing it off._

_"_ _So you aren't saving yourself because you discovered you're madly in love with me?"_

_They both started laughing, "You fucking wish, Prescott."_

_"_ _I wouldn't wish you upon my worst enemy."_

_She threw a pillow at his head._

_\_

"Hey Vic, you spacing out?" Nathan had given her a nudge, snapping her back to the present.

All eyes were on her, "Sorry, I was just doing my best Max impersonation."

Bryce clapped her on the back and hooted. The conversation carried on like normal; apparently they had moved on to the topic of the party this weekend.

The bell rang shortly after before she could really get a grasp on what she had missed. Nathan sniggered, bumping fists with Bryce before the muscled oaf waltzed casually over to Kate's desk.

"Hey Katie," he flashed a toothy grin, "Wha'cha doin' later?"

Victoria rolled her eyes.  _Katie?_  For real? Since when did anyone ever call her that?

"Bryce," she said, smiling back in a much more restrained manner, "I don't really have anything planned… why do you ask?"

He smoothed back his hair casually, "We're havin' a big party tonight. Everybody's welcome to come, it's gonna be a huge mixer," he settled his brown eyes on her expectantly, "You'll be there, yeah?"

Victoria couldn't help but smirk as she watched the heat rise in Kate's cheeks. Maybe if her nose weren't so stuck in the bible she'd have a better grasp on flirting.

"Um," Kate cut a glance across to Max as if asking permission, but she simply shrugged before starting to pack away her things. The brunette didn't manage to hide her extremely skeptical look-over of Bryce though. Kate was a bit too star-struck to notice it.

"Well, maybe… But it's not really my scene."

Broad shoulders sunk as he mock pouted, "C'mon now. All types of crowds're gonna be around. And you can come hang out with me, of course." Another grin. He was laying it on thick.

She worried her lip between her teeth, "I'll see how I'm feeling later, okay?"

"Aw, alright Katie. It'd be  _really_  nice to see you there though." Bryce spun on his heel, giving her a sheepish wave over his shoulder before joining the rest of the group as they left the classroom.

Nathan punched him in the shoulder further down the hall, "That was fucking unbelievable. Quit the football team and join the drama club, because you're a top notch actor bro."

Bryce scratched the back of his neck, "Naw fuck that. It wasn't that hard, she's kinda cute if you get past the whole religion freak thing."

"So, like, 90% of her then?" Piped in Taylor.

"Yeah, but probably not after tonight if she can really learn to loosen up a little," There was something subtly sinister to the way Nathan said it. It made Victoria feel a bit uneasy.

The rest of the group laughed.

Apparently she missed out on a lot of scheming during the end of the lecture.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo, I decided to link the music at the start of the chapter so you can put on your best headphones and check out what the characters are listening to as you go along. If you want to, that is.
> 
> Also, thanks for the kind comments! They make me smile like a huge doof, and really help motivate me. Hope y'all enjoy.
> 
> Charlie XCX - Break the Rules ( Sam Brit Bootleg ) you can find this on soundcloud
> 
> Wild Belle - Happy Home

The pair left the dining hall in a satiated daze, Max's strides in tandem with Kate's as they weaved through the hallway traffic. Students lingered about with their friends, no doubt avoiding going back to their rooms to study. They chattered away about anything they could that didn't have to do with their classes, but most of all, the Vortex party later that night.

"I don't want to go if it makes you uncomfortable," Kate perked up, "Bryce  _was_  laughing with the others when they were making fun of you." They hadn't brought the topic up through their entire meal, but of course she was too polite to ignore it.

Max mused over it for a moment. Bryce on a regular basis was genuinely nice for a Vortex goon. Though that might not be saying much.

_Great, now I'm playing the drama game and judging people._

Something had seemed awfully peculiar about that exchange though, and she didn't know him well enough to trust him.

"I'm surprised that you even want to go."

The shorter blonde shrugged, "Not really. I'm not going to get drunk or anything of course. But I kind of want to see what the big deal is. Just once."

"Ah. Yeah, I guess I can understand that."

"You've gone to one before?"

"N-no… Well," Max toyed with her too-long sleeves sheepishly, "Back in Seattle, yes. I didn't stay long though... My friends forced me to go." The memory made her cringe. Not even half an hour after being there her classmates had become obnoxious animals. The loud music and stuttered lighting were already enough to give her a headache without her drunk friends being added in to the equation. She had immediately called her parents and went home to binge on an Avatar re-watch.

"Well, even if the same happens for me, at least I can say I've experienced it first hand."

Kate fiddled with the cross dangling from her necklace, and Max couldn't' help but try to picture what her life was like with the church. Of course there were horror stories about highly discriminatory organizations, but the quiet blonde was never down anyone's throats with her beliefs. She was kind to all types of people regardless of affiliation.

_Now if only everyone could be like her._

The brunette still couldn't help but shake a strange feeling about the party, "Maybe... Maybe I could go with you? I mean, I've never experienced a  _Blackwell_ party."

Images of sweaty thrashing bodies to the backdrop of blaring bass immediately entered her mind, and she would've regretted the offer if it weren't for her morbid curiosity.

It took Kate a moment before a smile shot back at her, "Oh, sure. I think Alyssa and Stella wanted to go as well. I could introduce you guys."

"Ah, " She paused slightly in her steps before carrying on, sneakers scuffing against cold pavement. She felt a bit dumb for feeling the need to butt in and follow around Kate. Of course she already had friends that were going to be with her.

"Cool, text me in a bit. I just want to settle down before the big rager."

Kate laughed; bobbing her head in response as she turned to go to her room while Max proceeded up the stairwell.

She had met Alyssa and Stella very briefly in a few of her classes. Alyssa seemed really quiet, always on her phone or with a nose in her book. Stella was a bit of a mystery to her though, as she always seemed to want nothing to do with anyone. Max had no idea Kate was friends with either of them.

_Never stop it's how we ride,_

_Comin' up until we die_

An eclectic mix of synthesizers and bass boomed through the hall as she made her way towards her room. Apparently parties themselves weren't enough and a pre-party was in order.

_I just wanna break the rules_

Of course the source was none other than her lovely neighbor. Who else would be so bold and inconsiderate to the rest of the residents? She could even feel the floor vibrate outside of her room. But as she opened her door, she couldn't help but pause and note that no voices or activity accompanied the noise.

Weird. Party for one?

/

Fatigue seeped in to her bones and spread through every pore of her body. She didn't know how she was going to make it through the party tonight. She didn't even want to.

Victoria lay sprawled out on top of her comforter, still wrapped up in a damp towel from her shower. Even though the bass reverberated through her skin, she was deaf to the raging beat. Instead, a flanged guitar and slow snare enveloped her through her headphones.

_Pull me out of my bed in the earliest morning,_

_Where you been? I'm in trouble for something,_

Her phone buzzed.

**Hey where r u? Hurry the fuck up ;P!**

Nathan and the others were probably already far removed from sobriety. She was supposed to meet them half an hour ago to pre-party and help set up.

_Well I don't wanna be here, that's why I'm acting out,_

As she rose, her towel slid off her lithe frame and pooled around her ankles. She stared at herself in the full-length mirror adorning the wall, jabbing at the wobbly skin around her thighs before moving on to pinching her stomach.

She hated that mirror.

She could feel her mother standing over her shoulder; hear her telling her how fat she looked.  _Fuck you._

_I want to flee but I don't know how._

_Is this a happy home?_

Phone buzzing again, she whipped herself back in to action. She ripped out her ear buds and spun to face her closet. Now or never, she supposed. It was time to appease the masses.

After a quick skim of what was in her opinion a limited selection, she plucked out a short-sleeved yellow blazer and white low-cut tank to go along with the black skinnies and ankle boots that she had lain out earlier. She fired off a quick message lest Nathan keep harassing her.

**Fashionably late, fuck u keeners.**

A grin crept its way up on her face as she started shimmying in to her jeans.

_That ought to please him._

And much to her amusement, her phone remained silent for the rest of her preparations. She took her sweet time, stopping to take a drink here and there and continuously checking herself out in the mirror until her look was perfected down to the littlest of details.

Three quarters of a mickey of gin, a quick red lip and smoky eye later, and she was ready to go.

She could already feel the alcohol fizzle away in her empty stomach as she made her way down the hall with a slight sway in her stride.

At the stairwell, she managed just over halfway down the steps before she fumbled.

/

Max didn't think much of the rushing footsteps coming down the stairs behind her. That is, until a body came crashing down against hers.

"Oh fuck!"

"Wha-"

Thankfully she was already near the bottom of the stairwell when struck, but she still would've preferred if she wasn't crumpled over and wedged against the wall.

The brunette twisted her head to look over her shoulder and came face to face with a very flustered looking Victoria. Max suddenly felt her stomach flop.

To say the blonde looked stunning even in her disorientated state was a complete understatement. She could feel herself swallow involuntarily.

"Fuck, ugh," Victoria's eyes were still scrunched closed as she mumbled, her breath hot and sharp against Max's cheek. It had an odd piney smell to it.

"Um," She found herself struggling for words, not entirely sure if it was stemming from fear or something else entirely.

Stormy green blinked open in surprise, and she promptly lurched herself backwards, "You."

"M-Me? Are you alright?" Max oddly felt herself missing the warmth from the other body.

"Oh right, shit. Sorry. Right." Victoria wobbled as she tried to stand, mostly succeeding in just dangling off of the railing.

"Are you already drunk?" It was a genuine question, but Max mentally slapped herself as soon as the words escaped her mouth.

Her words slurred together in a telltale sign as she responded, "Fuck off. Do you even know what drunk is?"

There was the Victoria she was used to. She watched as the willowy figure managed to stand, hissing as she put weight on her ankle.

"Um, Victoria?"

"I think… my ankled roll."

Max turned her body around and placed an arm on the ground to push herself up to offer help, but immediately flinched and fell back as an acute pain shot up her limb.

"O-ow!"

"Oh shit. Oh-oh fuck. Is your arm broken? Fuck. Oh god Max, I-" Max cut the blonde off before she could blather on in to hysteria.

"Whoa, hey. It's okay. It's probably just a sprain."

Victoria just stared at her. For a moment, it looked like she was about to cry. Instead, much to the brunette's surprise, she burst out laughing.

"I'm such a fuck up."

/

Victoria fished the mickey from her purse and took a swig. She couldn't believe how drunk she had gotten.

In an odd turn of events, she somehow ended up sitting on the curb with Maxine fucking Hipsterfield waiting for a cab. The nearest hospital was in the next town over, and she felt way too guilty to let Max wait it out until the next day. Originally she had offered to drive, until her doe-eyed companion (and human crutch) reminded her she had been drinking,  _and_  had a bad ankle. How fucking embarrassing.

She didn't know how she was going to handle school next week. Hopefully her parents wouldn't find out, or she wouldn't hear the end of it. Not to mention Nathan and the gang were already going to be incredibly pissed at her. Queens have to make their appearances, after all. Best not to upset those who wait on them.

She took another swig of her gin, allowing herself to wince as the bitter liquid burned down her throat.

"Not to be a nag but um… Should you really still be drinking that?"

"I'd still be drinking if I were at the party right now, so I might as well drink to cope with… this."

She flung her arms out sloppily to gesture at the odd pair. Max took it as an opportunity to swipe the bottle from her; she had the same hard look in her eyes from earlier in class.

Victoria almost pouted. She folded her arms over her chest and huffed, "Since when did you get so ballsy?"

"Since I'm sick of you being a huge bitch to everyone and getting away with it."

Max looked more surprised at her own words than Victoria felt. The blonde couldn't help but laugh at the girl, who upon Victoria's sudden outburst looked even more confused, causing her to laugh even harder.

They settled in to silence after her laughing fit dissipated, bass echoing in the background from beyond the trees where the party raged on without them. Harsh light from the street lamps cast long ghoul-like shadows of the pair out across the road, and it would've made a nice picture in different circumstances. The chill night air crept through her bones, and she hugged her knees to her chest.

"'Sides, the booze keeps me warm."

"Huh?"

"Maxine! Have you never drank before?" Her voice rose and fell exaggeratedly with mock enthusiasm.

Blue eyes looked down at the bottle in her grip, and she flushed slightly, "Well, No…"

She watched her for a moment, and she shifted under her gaze, nervously playing with the cuffs of her sleeves. Of course she hadn't. Max was the epitome of a goody-two-shoes.

"Then find out for yourself. Try it."

"I... I don't really… "

"C'mon. You just broke your fucking arm and you're stuck with  _me_. I dare you."

The brunette glanced back and forth from Victoria to the bottle, and the blonde could practically see the cogs turning in her head.

"What? Not so ballsy anymore? All bark and no bite?"

Max frowned, rolling her eyes before rising up to the challenge and taking a huge swallow. She immediately sputtered most of it out all over the pavement.

"Ugh, yuck. How do you drink this!?"

Victoria snorted, raising her nose high, "With lots of practice. You get used to it."

The freckled girl comically crinkled her nose in distaste. It was kind of cute.

_Wait, what?_

Max cut in before she could drunkenly debate her thoughts further.

"I don't think I'd want to."

She just shrugged, shivering after the fact. It was really  _really_ cold out when she didn't have a steady stream of liquor being poured down her throat.

It didn't slip past Max's attention, who started (carefully) taking off her sweater and before Victoria could even protest, she handed it over. It was a gray cable-knit hoody, and actually pretty neat by Victoria's standards. Green eyes tried to meet blue, but Max was hiding her face behind her shaggy hair, pretending not to notice.

As she slipped it on, she noticed it still retained some warmth from when the other girl was wearing it. It felt nice.

"But won't you get cold?"

Max tried to brush it off, shrugging in response and casting her gaze down the street instead, "Well, I mean, You look like you need it more than I do. Besides, that's probably the cab down the street right now."

And so it was.

The mismatched pair hobbled over as the yellow sedan pulled up in the parking lot. Before shuffling inside, Max wordlessly helped Victoria swing her legs in. They settled in to a quiet calm after giving the driver directions, neither knowing what to say or really feeling the need to speak for the rest of the ride to the hospital.

It wasn't nearly as awkward as she felt it should be.

And Max's sweater smelled really, really good.


	5. Chapter 5

Victoria swaddled the soft down comforter up over her shoulders, and peeked out through the makeshift cowl. The thread count on these sheets had to be impossibly high.

She would've been sinking in to silky bliss if it weren't for the fact that she was currently tucked away in her parent's old bed.

Everything about the room seemed devoid of emotion, which seemed fairly ironic considering how artistic her parents likened themselves to be.

A fine layer of dust blanketed the long abandoned dark mahogany furniture, as well as the cherry floorboards that her footprints dragged through. The walls were blank canvases, except for a black and white panoramic skyline above the headboard. It looked much more like a display rather than a space that one could call home. Most would guess it had never been inhabited if it weren't for her dad's ashtray and discarded butts sitting on the night stand, and the empty lip-stained wine glass on her mother's side.

That was almost a statement in itself, she supposed. A few ideas started rolling around in her head. Maybe she would get a few shots in the next time when she had her camera around. Though the chances of that were highly unlikely. She'd never anticipated being here at all this year in the first place.

But by the time the pair had arrived at the hospital and made it through the horrendous waiting and processing period, it was already quite late and Victoria found herself quickly fading. Her parent's estate was conveniently located on the outskirts of quaint Arcadia Bay and it would save them over an hour of travel. She made the judgment call to ring in a taxi while Max was getting her splint fixed on.

While Victoria had escaped her fall with only a lightly sprained ankle, her unfortunate companion had managed to fracture her wrist. Taking photos was definitely going to be more of a challenge for her.

She pulled the knit hoody up over her nose, cradling herself into its warmth. Max was currently in her old room down at the far end of the hall, probably already passed out and drooling all over the place. She had neglected to return her sweater, but out of forgetfulness and not more selfish motives, or so she told herself.

She slipped Max's phone out of its pocket, studying the backdrop. An older man was posed in a goofy embrace with Max who was taking a selfie of them at a sunny golden beach. It was  _sickeningly_  cute. Her eyes drifted lazily over to the notifications.

3 Messages and 1 Missed Call.

Her thumb hovered tentatively over the screen, locked in a moral debate. She wondered what kind of dirt or leverage she could find to her advantage. Nothing too important or private could be on there if Max didn't even bother to have a lock code, right?

Speakers clicked at her softly in response to the swipe, and it was too late for her to turn back.

**Hey Max, are you still coming? Or did you decide to skip out and relax instead? No hard feelings. :)**

**Hhey wher r u**

The missed call and most recent messages and were from Kate, the latter seeming oddly lacking in structure.  _Did the goody-two shoes prude get drunk after all?_   _Who'd have ever thought?_  Victoria didn't end up getting the scoop on the whole fiasco involving Bryce and Kate, but she assumed things went swimmingly from the incoherent text.

**MAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ;D ! What u up 2 this weekend? We should totally chill!**

Laughter pushed its way up out of her ribs. The next message was from Warren, whom from a quick scroll up she concluded was trying way too hard. And failing hard, if Max's responses to his "textual advances" were any indication. She kept civil and friendly with him but never really said no outright and just happened to be busy. Maybe the brunette was just incredibly oblivious to his intentions?  _Gross_.

She scrolled on to the next conversation, before promptly coming to a halt.

**Hey sweetheart-**

Envy coiled like a serpent in her stomach. She locked the phone, placing it face down on the nightstand beside her own.

_So that's who the lock-screen picture is with._

Of course Max would be the kind of dork to have a close relationship with her parents. She couldn't help but wonder what they would think of her once the brunette shared the news; how would they picture her? Pushing their little girl down the stairs out of sheer idiocy and causing her harm.

She scowled. Whatever they thought, it was of little importance. Nobody's parents liked Victoria anyways.

She shuffled down in to the sheets, fastening her body in a giant wad of blankets. An acrid smirk found its way to her face.

Nobody's. Not even her own.

/

"No! I can change this, I can go back and-"

Max jolted upright, eyes ajar. She twisted around wildly, her limbs tangling in the sheets before regaining her bearings. Right, she was in Victoria's old room.

_Was I just talking to myself in my sleep?_

Gently lifting her arm then placing it on an adjacent cushion, she blinked a few times. She'd been having a lot of weird dreams lately. Last night could've been a dream too for all she knew. The peculiarity of the situation hadn't entirely sunk in yet.

Harsh morning light filtered in through slatted drapes, and she shielded her eyes with her good hand to better observe her surroundings.

Victoria's room was oddly neat. Too neat, for that matter. Everything appeared to be positioned so deliberately. Not a pen was out of place on the desk, and papers and books lined up perfectly square to surface's edges. Something about the level of directive made it seem awfully… restrained. No further indication to the inner mind of it's designer could be discerned. A faded family portrait sat on the dresser, but even then, it was rigid. Nobody was smiling. There were no childhood dolls, posters, or any sorts of items beyond anything practical, except for a record player sitting in the corner on a small table.

She slid out of the bed, hugging arms to her chest. The frigid morning air nipped at her skin, leaving raised flesh as she wandered over to peruse the vinyl collection.

_FKA Twigs, Broken Social Scene, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Bon Iver, The Cranberries, Radiohead, Fleetwood Mac, and of course there's Alt-J. Geez, and Victoria calls me a hipster._

Warm vanilla tones wafted up through the floor vents, and Max's stomach churned in impatience, jerking her from her prying. She had no concept of time, except for the clawing hunger nagging at her. It had to be late morning or early afternoon.

As she made her way to the door, she noticed a gray pullover hanging on the knob with a small note attached in familiar delicate writing.

_"_ _Yours smells boozy and is being washed._

_sorry"_

The apology looked hastily scratched down as an after thought. Max could only chuckle at Victoria's attempted hospitality.

As she made her way down the hallway, she couldn't help but notice how bare all the rooms were. The grandeur scale of the place, which she had failed to realize in her dazed walkthrough the night before, only amplified the fact.

Descending the stairs, she could hear the characteristic thunking of a knife against a wooden block, accompanied by what could only be described as an audible dreamscape.

"What are you listening to?"

"Tycho." Victoria's reply was curt, and she didn't bother to turn and look at her guest. She was already cleaned up and in a new change of clothes. It appeared she'd already been awake for quite some time already.

Max pulled a stool up to the bar counter, facing the blonde's back as she systematically labored around the stovetop. She seemed rather tense, but the brunette decided against inquiring. Sometimes talking to Victoria felt like dismantling a bomb.

"I like it, it's really… dreamy. I should really get around to listening to more instrumental music."

Her host didn't offer any form of response, focused instead on her working trance. Max sighed, opting to stare out the window instead of pressing conversation any further.

But before she could drift off in to a distant tide of thoughts, a plate clinked against the granite countertop in front of her, accompanied by a mug.

"Happy Birthday."

The presentation of the dish was immaculate. Some type of thin pancakes were tidily folded over, and a brown molten spread oozed from their centers. Sliced strawberries and bananas fanned out in a spiral on the crease of each fold. She raised a brow searchingly at Victoria, only to find her looking intently at the ground with her arms folded over her chest.

"How did you know?"

Victoria turned, scratching at the back of her neck. "Uh, your phone had a notification pop up for it. You left it in your sweater and it died, it's charging on the dining table." She spurred in to action and set about cleaning up her workspace, but Max didn't miss the moment of hesitation before her answer and kept note of it.

"Aren't you going to eat too?"

"No."

"You uh… You did this just for me?"

Victoria whirled on her heel to snap back at her, "Look. It's your birthday, and I fucked up your arm, so this is the least I can do. But this doesn't make us friends."

Max shrugged uncomfortably, staring down in to her ornate plateful. The blonde made her way back to washing dishes as if the interaction hadn't even transpired.

/

As the last dish entered the rack to dry, she could feel her shoulders fall away from her ears. Cleaning always seemed to impart a particular sense of relief in her.

"You're a really good cook. I don't think I've ever had such an amazing breakfast. Thank you… and please don't feel bad about my wrist." Max's voice sounded uncertain, as if she didn't feel like she had the privilege to speak.

"There's no need to suck up to me Maxine."

She sat across the bar from her, staring in to her untouched cup of joe.

"I-I'm not. I mean it." Her antennae of bed-head bobbed as she spoke, and Victoria found it hard to focus on what she had said, transfixed by her disregard of appearance.

_Why does she bother being nice when I'm such a bitch?_

"Right," She offered, shrugging in mock disbelief, "You don't like coffee?"

Max twirled the coffee around on the countertop by the handle until it faced Victoria. She was surprisingly deft with her left hand, seeing as her dominant one was in a splint.

"No, I'm more of a tea person I guess…"

"Hipster much?"

Blue eyes rolled, "Really? This again? You're one to talk, with that music selection of yours."

Victoria guffawed at the notion, "Please. You only wish I was down on your level." She snatched Max's mug, taking a long swallow of its bitter contents. She could feel the shorter girl's eyes studying her as she downed most of it.

"So… coffee is an acceptable breakfast replacement?"

She paused, swirling the mug around and watching the mini twister of liquid slosh against the molded clay walls.

"I just need to lose some extra pounds. Whatever."

"Huh? But you're so pretty." An awkwardly long moment of silence passed by. Max looked dumbfounded at her own choice of words, and green eyes stared back in shock.

_What?_

Victoria could feel her face start to flush as it sunk in. She stood abruptly, failing while trying her best not to look like she was scurrying away as she washed her mug in the sink.

"I called a cab earlier. They should be out front in," She glanced at the digital clock on the oven, "10 minutes or so."

She fidgeted with the mug, hefting it from hand to hand. She soaked it in the hot soapy water again and scrubbed away aimlessly.

"I.. I'll uh, go wait outside then." The stool dragged on the tile floor, echoing in the expanse of the empty house.

"Right."

"Um, Victoria?" Her words hung in the air expectantly. Victoria hesitantly peeked over her shoulder, not quite making eye contact.

"Uh," She swallowed, "You can just keep my sweater. Its not really my style and it looks more fitting on you anyway."

"Cool."

She turned back to rinsing her mug, not allowing the smile to creep its way up her lips until she heard footsteps recede down the hall. As the front door slammed shut, a heavy sigh escaped from her. She wasn't intending on giving her back the sweater anyways, but it was nice knowing she didn't have to feel guilty about it.

_Max is…_

Her pocket hummed, thieving her attention. Her smile faltered as she read the list of notifications as she pulled out her phone.

_Well. Guess I have to deal with the crew now. And Nathan. How am I going to dig myself out of this one?_

She shuddered at the thought. That was sure going to fill her fun quota for the day.


	6. Chapter 6

Max hated Mondays. Not because she scorned the start of the week, as the majority of her fellow students would coincide to. She actually found some enjoyment in her classes for the most part. Rather, it was more of the fact that she constantly felt like she was overlooking something that she should have done over the weekend, instead of burning away her time playing games and watching TV series. Or in this case, struggling to even function with one good arm.

A hand grasped her shoulder as she was absently making her way to class, and before she could react, her body was slamming into the lockers. At least it was her good arm bracing against the contact, but the metal doors still packed a hefty punch.

"Maximum Klutz, watch yourself." Nathan leered at her, his grin taking on a feral gleam as his friends applauded him by snickering amongst themselves.

"What the fuck?!" The words trickled out of her mouth before she could acknowledge the consequences, and regret instantly sat heavy on her tongue.

Nathan's eyebrows cinched together. He thrust a hand against the locker to one side of her head, and she winced at the impact. He leaned in, imposing himself over her.

"Excuse me? Who the  _fuck_  do you think you're talking to here?"

Malice oozed from his words, and she squirmed under his gaze. Nathan had an abnormally crazed intensity about him, something animalistic lurking behind his eyes.

_Holy shit. I take it back, I take it back, I take it ba-_

"Maximum Klutz, watch yourself." Nathan leered at her, his grin taking on a feral gleam as his friends applauded him by snickering amongst themselves.

_Huh?_

Max blinked. She twisted her head around probingly, as if some kind of solution would jump out at her.

_Talk about a glitch in the Matrix... Was I daydreaming again?_

Nathan's ridiculing laughter stole back her attention, "What, are you lost out in space or something?"

"U-uh. Sorry."

Like the flip of a switch he morphed from laughing obnoxiously to sneering at her, all seriousness etched in the lines of his face. It'd almost be amusing to watch, if it weren't bordering on the line of slightly insane.

He thrust a finger at her face, "You better be fucking sorry. Victoria told me what you did, you better watch yourself Caulfield."

If she wasn't lost before, she was indefinitely circling through the woods now.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Vic told me all about your clumsy fumble when you knocked her down the stairs," He paused for effect, licking his lips before deciding on his next words.

_Victoria said what!?_

"You're lucky she didn't get more hurt. If it were up to  _me_ , I'd-"

"Nate."

He jumped, swiveling his body towards the voice's source. Max let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding, and tilted her head back to look around his shoulder. She found herself staring as Victoria leisurely made her way to the pair. Her regular choice of heels were exchanged for a pair of dull flat-soled boots, and she heavily favored one foot over the other as she walked, barely resemblant of the typical poise she held.

"Why even waste your breath on her?" She looked down her nose at him haughtily, triggering him to bristle even more.

"What, and let her off easy? No way. Nobody fucks with my girl."

Victoria scoffed, "Whatever, she already screwed her own wrist. "  _Liar._  The blonde failed to meet Max's accusing stare.

_Look me in the eyes and lie to my face._

"Besides, being stuck with herself on a daily basis is punishment enough."

Ouch.

White streaked her knuckles as she squeezed her hand into a trembling fist. It seemed utterly laughable that this was the same girl that selflessly made her breakfast two days ago. Maybe she was just stuck in one big sequence of dreams, unable to discern the real and the imagined.

Nathan whooped, seemingly satisfied with the answer, "Get some ice for that burn, Lamefield."

He scooped Victoria's books from her arms, proceeding to mock bow and earning himself a playful swat. As they made their way past her, he childishly flipped her the bird for extra measure.

She stood locked in place gazing at the floor, shielding her face with her mop of hair as other students awkwardly lumbered by in muffled silence. Tears aspired to well up in her eyes, but she batted them away in defiance. There was no way she was going to grant them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

As she mustered the courage to lift her head, green eyes caught hers. Victoria simply stared back impassively, before rounding the corner and disappearing in to the classroom.

Yup. Max hated Mondays.

/

A stone of guilt weighed down her stomach. Normally she had no problem stepping over others to get her way, but this was on a whole new level.

_Happy Birthday, Max. Your wrist is fractured, and now everyone thinks you're a public safety hazard._

Her hands fisted in to her skirt, shadowed from view under her desk. Rather than face the shame and embarrassment of her own actions, she had seamlessly managed to use Max as a scapegoat. Max, who hadn't ever done her any wrong. Well, besides calling her out for being a bitch. But it was true, and at least she was being honest.

That was more than she could ever say for herself, especially now.

She cut a glance over to Taylor, Bryce, and Nathan.  _Of course_  they'd believe her fictitious telling of events. What was another lie on top of the mountain she had already established?

She sighed.  _Damn me and my sense of self-preservation._

They all lazed in their chairs with disinterest as they stared at their phones, Nathan tapping away with his foot incessantly. Mr. Jefferson whirred about with a confident stride as he ran through attendance. He handed back assignments as he made his way up and down the aisles, earning groans and grins alike. It was such an ordinary scene for the turmoil she felt. As he neared, he skimmed right past Victoria, sliding her paper over her desk face down.

She nearly shrieked when she flipped it over. The crisp red lettering arose a matador to her building rage.

_"_ _You have a clear vision, but need to succumb to your emotions to bring it to life. I was initially very intrigued by the promise you presented. The mood was there, but you failed to swallow the audience in the grittiness that you had built the anticipation for._

_-6/10"_

If superpowers were to ever exist, she would definitely be burning literal holes in to the back of Mr. Jefferson's head right now.

_You've got to be kidding me. This is bullshit._

"Ah, Miss Caulfield. You're late."

She shifted her attention to the front of the class, where the sluggish brunette shuffled in with downcast eyes. Victoria could hardly bare to watch her, rapidly reliving her shame as she studied the freckled figure.

"Sorry Mr. Jefferson... I, uh, got held up." She hugged her books tight to her chest, hunching forward as she hastily stalked over to her seat.

He tsked, waving a finger at her dismissively, "I can see that. But just because you're injured that doesn't mean you get off easy. You don't walk on your hands, and Victoria made it in just fine."

Victoria's jaw stiffened, and she dropped her gaze to her desk. Her friends jostled with laughter, but Max held her head high, opening her notebook and disregarding his comment.

Mark adjusted his glasses as he cleared his throat, "Speaking of whom. For your next project I've decided to place you all in to pairs, and I'd like for you two to collaborate."

_No._

The air rang dead with silence, and a certain numbness crept up through her skin. Slumping down in her chair, she wished for nothing more than to melt in to a pool under her desk. Surely this was some kind of karmic joke the universe was orchestrating.

Max gaped, unable to withhold her protest, "No! But… I mean… Victoria is far more advanced than I am, surely you-"

"Actually Max, seeing as you're our rising star here at Blackwell I was hoping you could lend Miss Chase some of your hindsight in her work."

Her? Learn from Max? She had definitely entered the twilight zone.

Victoria immediately straightened. Leaning heavily across her desk, she measured him up with half-lidded eyes. Her lips smacked pointedly, "Actually, I think I'd be  _much_  better suited to work with Taylor. Besides, I can get all the expertise I'll ever need from  _your_  brilliant mind."

He eyed her appraisingly in an instant of hesitation before waving her off, "That's  _enough_ , ladies. Everyone else already has an assigned partner so you'll have to make do," He adjusted the collar of his blazer and smoothed out his sleeves, coolly making his way back to the front.

"Now, if we can have no  _further_  interruptions, I'd like to start todays lecture."

The snappish notes of turning pages and pens and pencils clattering on desks consumed the room in a frantic energy as everyone turned their focus to the projector screen. Victoria meanwhile remained in shock, still half-hanging over her desk. Heat flared up to the tips of her ears. She hadn't anticipated to be rebuffed so outright.

/

_Today just can't get any worse._

She immediately erased the thought from her mind, knowing only too well how that would end.

Max's pen jittered against the wood surface. Her taste for the lecture had turned sour. Mr. Jefferson flitted about animatedly at the front of the class, but nothing he said seemed to reach her. Whenever she did manage to regain her focus, a flood of worry crashed its way back in. She glossed over her pages again and again, which were littered in scribbles and swirls after having given up on trying to write left handed. At least the directionless doodling did seem to ease her mind a little, if only by means of distraction.

_I can't work with Victoria. This sucks. Why did I even come here? I can't believe she would do that. I should've just stayed back in Seattle. I don't have anything here. Why does she feel entitled to do these things? At least I had some semblance of friends back there. What if this was all a big mistake?_

The empty seat next to her filled her with a deep sense of longing. She felt manic without her usual support at her flank. Something about Kate's presence always seemed to have a sort calming effect.

_Where is she?_

After having retrieved her phone from Victoria and going over her texts, she immediately felt awful for standing Kate up. Her garbled message from later in the evening gave Max's stomach an uneasy feeling, and she desperately hoped that Nathan and the like weren't too pushy with her.

She had sent an apology note that afternoon, but Kate's reply was brief and offered very little detail. Maybe she was embarrassed? Was she angry with Max?

_What if she's avoiding me? What if she believes Victoria's story too? What if?_

She chewed the lid of her pen in intervals between tapping it against her chin. Air felt sluggish and thick in her lungs, and she had to concentrate extra hard on her breathing.

/

Lecture had seemed to drag on forever. She was stooped over her binder, finishing off the AP English essay that she had neglected in favor of spending Sunday with Nathan and Courtney. She didn't care if Mark saw her; secretly hoping that he took it as the proverbial finger for embarrassing her earlier. Nathan would make sure she wouldn't get in any trouble anyways.

Said person started laughing over to her left, but she didn't bother feeding him any more attention. Yesterday he'd constantly been on her case about missing the party, and seemed hell-bent about collaborating on a big revenge plot against Max. Victoria just wanted to put it behind her, but he was awfully persistent with the idea.

He seemed a bit more unhinged than usual. A nervous energy sparked and set her on edge when she was around him. But when she had asked if anything was bothering him, he just brushed it off, saying he hadn't been sleeping well. Liars among liars, she supposed.

The bell signaled the end of the day, and students bolted out in a rush for freedom. As she was scanning over her essay in finalization, a finger jabbed in to her arm accompanied by hushed laughter, "Vic. Look."

She let out an impatient breath, not in the mood for Nathan's immature antics and wanting nothing more than to rush off to her room and light a joint. But as she followed his gaze, her breath caught.

Max sat alone, body trembling with uneven gasps. It was as if she were lost at sea, panic stricken and lost in a torrent of waves and loose flapping sails. She looked completely out of it. A look she knew. The familiarity pulled at her like a noose.

"Have fun with your freak show partner," Nathan sing-songed as he hopped away, chasing after Taylor and Bryce out of the classroom.

/

"Maxine," The chair next to her creaked with it's newfound load, and she nearly tumbled out of her own.

Her hands fumbled with the pen, blue ink dotting her digits. She couldn't meet the eyes of her neighbor, instead scanning them back and forth in any which way across the floor.

A hand tentatively reached out and grasped her shoulder, "Max."

"What the fuck do you want, Victoria?!" Her voice started to break, and tears threatened to spill over. She didn't want to be weak. Not in front of her. But the glistening pools formed by their own will anyway.

She lifted her eyes to glimpse at Victoria's own, expecting her to be smiling in triumph over her latest spoils of war, ready for the execution. Except, she wasn't. The blonde simply had that same unreadable expression on her face again. The look may as well have been hieroglyphic coding to her.

Max hated that. She was supposed to have learned about that. She was supposed to be able to have a secure grasp on people.

Victoria swallowed, "Class is over and we… Need to go over the proj-," She placed a hand on Max's other shoulder, squaring the two of them up, "Max."

Her lips were quivering. She sniveled, snot running down her nose and tears leaking down liberally. Her pulse ran laps through her chest, and her breath heaved forcefully. Blue eyes scattered about, unable to grasp on to anything. She knew she looked like crap, but couldn't bring herself to care.

"Max," Tender thumbs gently started rubbing soothing circles in to her arms. She breathed slowly and exaggeratedly; signaling for Max to follow, "Breathe. Breathe with me."

Max waved her head a fraction in a nod, inhaling and exhaling deeply through her mouth. She began a count descending from 5000 in multiples of 3.

Her shuddering calmed after awhile, Victoria staying with her in silence throughout. The classroom around them was empty, she noticed. She hadn't even heard the bell ring earlier, and she had no idea how long they were sitting there for waiting for her breath to catch.

"That's better," Victoria immediately released her grip on Max, leaning back in her own chair and folding her hands taut in her lap.

The brunette buried her face in her hands, suddenly swamped with embarrassment. Her voice came out a muffled resignation between her fingers, "You can leave me to die now."

Victoria laughed airily. It was such an unexpectedly soft sound from her, enticing Max to peek through the gaps of her hands. She had a shadow of a smile at the corner of her lips, but something about her eyes looked… Sad? The blonde shifted away from Max's scrutiny, rifling through her purse to retrieve a wad of tissue from its vast treasure trove.

"Here."

She accepted the handful. Freckles stood out in stark contrast to the pink hues, as she blotted away the moisture from her splotchy face.

The blonde sat in an awkward quiet. She hefted up Max's pen that was thrown with disregard to the floor, fiddling with it in what she could only assume was a nervous matter. She moved to Max's notebook, hastily scrawling something down before standing to leave.

"My room. Tomorrow after school. That's my number, if you need to text me." The words crashed out of her mouth like a freight train.

Max felt like she was just handed a pop quiz from a course she didn't even take. Her brow pinched together in confusion as she tried to process the onslaught of information.

"For the project," Victoria clarified in another sharp breath.

Blue irises rimmed with red blinked, "Oh."

Her new partner was half way out of the class before she spoke again, seemingly unsure of her own stance.

"For the record, I'm sorry. I know it doesn't mean anything, but I  _do_  feel bad."

She pushed through the door and ducked out in to the hallway, consumed by the afternoon traffic as students caught up with their friends while clearing their way out.

Max brushed a finger over the blue numbers indented in to her page.

Victoria was a mystery she couldn't help but want to solve.


	7. Chapter 7

Sweat coalesced in rivulets down her back, and her lungs felt coarse with effort. She could feel her joints stiffen and ache in dissent as she began walking up the stairs, ankle screaming in objection at every repetition of bearing gravity's burden.

She ran 15km today.  _And_  in record time. But no satisfaction was garnered from the fact.

Victoria ploughed her way through the dorm halls, Alyssa getting the brunt end of her elbow and tumbling out of the way gracelessly. Served her right for having her nose in her books all the time and not watching where she was going.

_Of course she's the top student in English, because she's such a damn try-hard._

She ground her teeth involuntarily, marching towards the showers after retrieving her bag.

Yesterday she had allowed herself a moment of weakness.

A moment that shouldn't have been gifted life. She knew far better than that. Her prided steeled poise that had been industriously crafted over the years, hardening her in to her place of solidarity; it could not be cracked. Should not be cracked. And yet it had.

Conflict raged on in the caged confinements of her skull, and she couldn't fathom the thought of another's presence adding to the racket. She had avoided her acquaintances after the Vortex meeting when classes concluded, using the excuse of being tired from walking on her bad ankle all day. Hilarious to think of now, since she'd been running in the wee hours before the sun fully woke.

_I am not her friend. I don't owe her anything. I am my own friend, and I am my top priority._

She exhaled forcefully through her nose, reciting the mantra over and over in her mind as if she could permanently imprint the notion across her eyelids.

Brooke stood in line for the next available stall, and earned herself a glower as the blonde barked, " _Excuse me_."

The spectacled geek raised her hands in defeat, stepping aside to allow her passage. She puffed out her chest as she strode past, nose in the air.

 _There_. That was more like it.

The shower roared in to action, and as scalding hot water poured over sensitive flesh, she couldn't find herself sparing the thought to change it. She deserved every discomfort for allowing herself to slip up. She deserved to be punished.

Because the hell she would experience if she couldn't hold it together promised to be  _much_ , much worse.

/

"Maximillian!" Warren leaned in to her, clapping her on the back as she plucked beakers and vials from their drawers. She could've sworn she dropped one on impact, but as she raised her hand she found it still there.

"Is it true? Did you throw down with the Wicked Witch of Blackwell?!"

She shrank in on herself as much as a non-turtle humanoid could. Heads turned to leer at them. He talked way too loudly for her liking.

"No, Warren. She… She knocked  _me_  down the stairs. But it was just an accident, I mean…"

He groaned, taking on an eccentric character with his voice, " _Why so serious?_ I'm just jokin' with ya Max."

Of course he had to fit a reference in wherever he could. She would've cringed if it weren't something she did all the time.

"Yeah, but-"

"I bet she did it on purpose anyway. She totally gets off on evil stunts like that."

Max simply shrugged, and Warren bounded off as quickly as he had arrived to retrieve and weigh out the alloy samples. She was grateful he was her lab partner; chemistry bored her to death. She'd probably be failing if it weren't for him pouring his attention over her. Which simultaneously made her ungrateful.

Lately his advances had become bolder and in increased frequency, and Max had no idea how to let the Labrador-like boy down easily. She wasn't exactly well versed in the subject, seeing as she normally had trouble trying to keep people in the first place.

He settled back down next to her, as she idly sketched out tables for observations. Setting up the titration apparatus always managed to get her flustered, so he permanently took over the responsibility. He probably enjoyed being able to provide for her in some weird way.

"Say," he started, but without the volume that he normally carried, "Have you seen those links posted everywhere?"

It sounded like he was about to say more, but he waited.

She had admittedly written it down out of sheer nosiness to check out after classes were over, "Uh, I haven't looked at it yet, no."

He sucked in his lips and looked at the ceiling, "Hmmm. It's some pretty crazy shit. Who knew Kate had it in her?"

That immediately piqued her attention. Kate still hadn't shown her face, but Max hadn't bothered to text her again either after she initially danced around the subject. She still had trouble gauging people's space sometimes.

"What do you mean?"

He folded his hands at the rear of his head and leaned back, "Weeeeelllllll…" He laughed apprehensively, "I think it's just something you need to see for yourself. "

A stern voice interrupted before Max could inquire further, "Warren. Just because you're one of my better students doesn't mean you can slack off."

"Yes ma'am!" He sat stiff as a board and offered a mock salute, and Max couldn't help but laugh a little. Warren  _did_  have his moments.

"A-Actually… Uh, Miss Phillips, you wouldn't mind if I go to the washroom?"

She pursed her lips for a few moments before she gave a resigned nod, " _Fine_ , but make it quick Max."

"Thanks, I will."

Warren gave her a weird look as she slung her bag over her shoulder, but she only gave a brief smile before scooting away.

She loved when classes were in session. After a quick scan to confirm her seclusion, she hummed and twirled in the vacant expanse of the hallway. She'd always wanted to recreate those scenes from the movies and ride a bike through them, but this would suffice.

Trawling through her messenger bag as she pushed through the doors of the girls' washroom, she retrieved her phone and started tapping away at the screen, earning a delighted chorus of clicks from the virtual keyboard. She sank against the wall in the back corner, chewing on the loose skin around her nails as she waited for the video to buffer.

_Y u so slow? Come on, ol' reliable, don't fail me now._

"God DAMNIT!"

The door flung open, and she instinctually froze. Footsteps hammered in, hard soles pacing back and forth on the dirty tile.

_Nathan?_

Water started running, slapping against the sides of stained porcelain as he muttered unintelligibly under his breath. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and she fought hard against the deafening urge to run. What was he doing in the girls' bathroom?

More footsteps. Heeled boots clicked down the hallway, pausing just outside the door before passing through. A heavy sigh; and then a familiar voice.

"Look, Nathan. I don't-"

"Tell me you have something for me. I don't want to hear anything else from your  _whore_  mouth."

 _Holy shit. What's going on?_  He sounded completely out of it, the pitch of his voice wavering between tones of rage and desperation. Chills crawled up her spine. She clasped a hand over her mouth; afraid her fear would betray her.

"Shit Nathan. I'm sorry okay? I don't have anything for you!"

"You're so fucking USELESS. You literally have one job. One goddamn job! Can't you do anything right?!"

"Don't."

She could feel her skin prickle with an array of bumps. Max crouched down, creeping over gradually on the ends of her toes until a mirror came in sight. Nathan was leaning over the sink, hands trembling in a tight grip over the rim. A girl with cerulean blue hair stood to his side, shadowed by his profile.

"You're just some sad fucking girl who'll never amount to  _anything_. Your dad was lucky to die before he could see what a fuckup you've-"

Max flinched. The unmistakably sharp clap of flesh striking flesh echoed through the dimly lit room. Nathan reeled backwards, and the fluorescents flickered in time with the beat of silence before the thunder coursed.

"BITCH! DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE FUCKING WITH!?"

The blue haired girl staggered back, hands raised in defense as she fumbled for words, "Shit. Sh-Shit, Nathan, I'm sorry, but you-"

In the next instant, time felt like it proceeded in a crawl. Nathan reached in to his letterman, pulling out a gun. Max bit hard down on her tongue to prevent the scream that threatened to escape as he pointed the barrel at the lanky girl with an unsteady grip.

"Holy fuck. Dude, Nathan, calm down. Please, I just need more time, Frank wouldn't give me any, I-"

He lunged forward, thrusting the gun at her face. His eyes were wide and wild, the red mark prominent against his cheek.

_Holy shit holy shit holy shit I have to do something I-_

"Say hi to your dad for me bitch."

A deafening pop followed, and the girl's head hit the floor with a sickening crack.

"NO!"

The world around Max seemed to distort as she reached out, the very fabric of reality twisting and flashing violently in hues of red and blue. She watched in horrified awe as the fallen body rose back to its feet, bullet extracting itself from her head where flesh mended and flowing straight back into the gun.

The two exchanged words in a language Max couldn't understand, and disregarded her presence completely. They flickered in and out of space, limbs jerking in alien movements until the outlandish girl lurched backwards out of the door.

_What the fuck?_

Everything stilled. The water from the faucet sat suspended in the air, separate droplets floating beside the stream without any regards to the laws of gravity. Nathan hovered above, eyes locked on the mirror unblinking.

"This… This can't be real. I'm going completely insane."

Max walked over unsteadily, disoriented by the flow of events. She could feel bile rise in her stomach as she waved a hand in front of his face. No answer. It was as if he were a statue.

She pulled out her phone with a trembling hand. The video sat un-buffered where she had left it, display still blinking at 11:22.

"Did I just… Go back in time?"

As if in response, her head pulsed with a shrill pain, and her phone slipped from her hand as she grasped at her temples. The screen shattered on impact with the cold tile, leaving a web of cracks embellishing the display.

_Shit._

"Ugh. Okay… Okay. Oh man."

_Time to test this theory out, Doctor._

She scrunched up her face, concentrating hard on the phone as it lay on the floor.

Nothing.

"Come on… What did I do?!"

She closed her eyes, recalling an image of the scene to display behind closed lids.

_I shouted… and I reached out to stop him… and then?_

"No?" She inquired, slowly raising a hand.

The cracks welded back together in to a smooth glossy surface, and the device arose a phantom from the floor, lodging itself back in her grip. Her jaw dropped.

"Oh my glob. I'm a timelord."

_This isn't possible. This doesn't make any sense. I'm dreaming. I'm dead. Nathan must've shot me and now I'm in some weird alternate reality… Where I'm a total badass. Oh man, now I'm like some kind of superhero! But there's no way that- No. Focus Max. I need to save that girl._

She straightened, standing tall for what felt like the first time in her life. Despite the situation, her newfound ability left her feeling giddy with power as adrenaline cranked through her body.

"Okay," She exhaled. "Okay."

Pressing on past Nathan, she opened the door to find the strangely familiar girl standing attentively outside. Her hands were locked in tight fists, face to the ground. Probably mentally preparing herself for the confrontation, Max supposed.

As she grabbed the girl's arm, she blinked back to life. The sound of running water resumed in the washroom.

"Huh?"

Max tugged urgently on her jacket sleeve, "Uh... Look. We need to leave."

"The  _fuck_? Do I know you?" Blue eyes squinted and her eyebrows furrowed as she set about dissecting Max's presence.

"P-Please. Nathan has a gun."

Her eyebrows shot up at that.

"What?"

The door swung open, and Nathan stepped through with an air of annoyance.

"Fucking  _Caulfield_?!"

This wasn't going as well as she had hoped.

Cold sweats broke out down her back. Her mouth suddenly felt dry, and she gulped audibly, "Oh uh… Nathan… Um. We were just leaving."

He whipped his head back and forth between the two of them, cogs turning as he tried to draw the connection, "Like  _hell_  you are. Chloe, you better have what I fucking asked for!"

_Chloe?_

Chloe pushed past her gently, taking a step in front and standing wide. Her lips were pressed in a firm line as she debated her words. Max clutched tightly to her arm in a silent plea.

"Look. Sorry, I don't have anyth-"

His face contorted in to a mask of rage. A vein pulsed at his temple as his demeanor completely unhinged.

" _Wrong answer_ ," His voice rippled through his body in a coarse grumble, hands shaking at his sides, "You promised Sunday! It's FUCKING TUESDAY, PRICE."

"Run!" Chloe reeled, dragging Max along with her as she bolted down the hallway in long strides. Her breath came short as she tried to keep up on her shorter limbs.

Heads popped out in to the hallway to observe the commotion as Nathan yelled, taking off after them. Sneakers screeched against the vinyl flooring as the chase ensued.

As they burst through the main doors, Chloe yanked her sharply to the right, veering them towards to the parking lot. She fumbled through her pockets with her free hand, the unmistakable chiming of keys answering back.

They slowed as they approached an old Chevy that looked well past its prime. Rust ate away at the battered body, and a side view mirror secured in duct tape sat askew. Max doubted it could even run.

"C'mon. "

"B-But..."

"Fine. You wanna stay here with  _that_?"

Nathan stumbled down the front steps cursing loudly. He shielded his eyes against the sun for a moment before he caught sight of them, resuming his frenzied charge.

Max scrambled into Chloe's truck, not bothering with a verbal response.


	8. Chapter 8

Victoria drummed her fingers against her thigh as the analog display ticked back at her innocently.

3:52

_Where the hell is she?_

She let out an irritable grunt as she slid further down into her chair, until only her head remained peering over her desk.

Most of her day was spent dreading the arrival of Max at her door. She had opted to skip all her classes, settling in to her reclusive sanctuary with the occasional trip to the library. It was much more productive to avoid the chitchat of her friends, and frankly, she needed a day off to recuperate. In that timeframe alone she'd already managed to place herself 2-3 readings ahead throughout her courses.

But as the minutes trickled by, she found that dread turning in to something different. An anxious vigor waded its way in, picking away at her thoughts. She huffed out a gust of air in an impatient exhibit.

_Did she finally run away back home?_

She span around in her chair. The prints on her wall sat directly square with the framing of the room, and the fairy lights draped across the ceiling enveloped everything in a dreamy glow. Gentle light left colors feeling muted, allowing dramatic shadows to take the mass of the domain. It felt cozy to her. Her own self-established protective womb.

She stood, peeling back a pashmina that hung decoratively over a shelf. Colorful figurines danced and posed back at her with varied expressions, and she allowed a smile despite herself before shielding them again from wandering eyes. She squeezed her own shut.

_How do I even act around her?_

She was strung in the middle of a rope, being tugged back and forth between two subconscious entities fighting for jurisdiction. Her interactions thus far with Max had left her lost. Smooth painted masks were bleached away to reveal others in their place until her identity was amiss. Or perhaps left without a mask at all?

She squashed the thought under a mental heel.

_Cruel? Nice? Polite until the project is over, then never spare her another thought?_

The last thought seemed most practical. She chewed at her bottom lip in consideration. A terrible habit she couldn't shake.

Her phone's buzzing drew her attention, and she scooped it up with urgency. Maybe it was the hipster in question.

**Beaaatccchhh come drink with Taylor n me! 3**

Courtney. She couldn't help the disappointed sigh that sank through her body.

**I can't drink while on painkillers.**

**Lol since when tf do u care about that shit!? Cmon vickyyy hayden and T just broke up :( :(**

Scowling, she cast a glance at the clock again.

4:01

Perhaps the vintage loving dork stood her up, serving her own dish of discontent to Victoria. Would she deliberately fail the two of them out of spite?

_Probably. It is me, after all._

The lines of her frown extended.

_Fuck it._

She slung her purse over her shoulder and slipped on a pair of flats.

**C u in 15.**

/

"Caulfield huh. I should've been able to recognize you right away."

Max had tensed at that. Chloe Elizabeth Price. Of course they were bound to run into each other sooner or later. Though she would've never guessed it would be in such circumstances.

Her old friend looked so different now, much more so than just her outward punk rock attire. She seemed… hardened. The brilliant mischief that always used to flash in her eyes was instead fixed with something more sullen that Max couldn't quite place.

"Well… It has been awhile."

"Yeah. Sure nice of you to keep in contact," came a bitter reply, hardly discernable over the rumble of the engine.

The rest of the ride was shared in an uncomfortable silence until Chloe cranked up her stereo. A surplus of thrashing guitar crackled through the ancient speakers, and her companion nodded her head along to the crashing of the drums.

The old neighborhood filed out before them. It filled Max with so many memories of trips to the corner store and irresponsibly splurging on candy with their monthly allowances. An image of purple and blue tongues stained from slushies in the summer called back to her. Chloe used to utilize her straw to blow spitballs at passing cars, and Max smiled as she tried to picture an adult Chloe doing the same. It felt awfully bittersweet.

They had arrived shortly at the old house; looking exactly like it did the day Max had left for her new home. It looked in disrepair, and the old paint had started to peel and flake at the edges.

_Funny how we change so fast. The world can barely keep up._

Joyce of course, was enthralled on sight, barraging her with a slew of hugs and questions. She was overjoyed at the prospect of Max's company and brusquely shooed the pair in to the dining room, whipping up some of her famous turkey melts and reheating her from-scratch soup made the night prior.

The whole scene felt so… homey. Max loved Joyce's cooking, even more so than her own parents, and her sweet southern drawl as she chattered away always made her feel welcome and adored.

"Oh Max honey. I'm so glad you met up with Chloe, lord knows she could use some good people in her life like you."

Chloe snorted, clearly not amused. She had neglected to pitch in for any of the conversation, instead occupying herself what appeared to be some kind of journal or day planner. It had definitely seen better days.

"Piss off."

Max fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. Joyce placed her spoon down firmly on the table whilst clearing her throat.

"Chloe, please. I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak like that at the table.  _Especially_  when we have guests around."

Gray eyes rolled and she kicked her feet up on the chair next to her in a laughable act of defiance. Her mother shot Max an apologetic look.

"Um, I," Max picked at her napkin, tearing off tiny flecks of white from the edges and piling them in the center.

"… I'm really sorry I didn't keep in touch over the years. And I'm sorry about what happened with William, we really wanted to make the wake but Dad just couldn't get the time off and…"

Her old friend suddenly shot out of her chair, leaving her dishes behind as she trudged away with heavy steps. The old stairs creaked in succession.

Joyce didn't bother to call after her, instead sighing and leaning forward on her elbows.

"Sweetheart, don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're here now. I loved William. But sometimes you just have to move on. …I don't think Chloe has really gotten to that place yet."

Plates and bowls clattered as she expertly stacked them in a casual grace. Many years of working at the diner would do that to you.

"She just grew up too fast. But don't you all?" She smiled sadly. There were far more lines at the corners of her eyes than Max had ever remembered.

She stared at her pile of shredded tissue. She scooped it up as she excused herself from the table, discarding it in the bin on her way up the stairs. The old wooden railing still had white initials they had carved in their youth, and the colorful smears of sharpies past.

"Chloe?"

As she entered her friend's room, her nostrils were instantly assaulted with a skunky stench. Smoked billowed from Chloe's mouth in great clouds, giving her the appearance of a basking dragon as she lay sprawled across her bed.

To say it was messy would be a compliment. Thick black stains of gloomy musings were sporadically graffitied on the old peeling paint. The rest of the walls were mostly hidden away behind posters and photos, featuring punk bands and scantily clad women, much to Max's wonder. Floor appeared to be a rare commodity, the majority having been consumed by miscellaneous garbage, clothes, CDs and magazines in no particular order.

"Why'd you never call?"

Max teetered on her heels and hugged her arms to her chest, "You… You know how I am. I have a hard enough time corresponding face to face… I don't know what to say over a phone or a letter."

Chloe stretched, dropping the butt of her joint into an empty beer bottle that sat discarded on the floor. She offered a weak smile.

"You were my best friend."

"I-I know. You were mine too."

"I needed you, dude."

The weight of the words sat heavy in Max's chest. Having picked up the phone on multiple occasions, she could never bring herself to hit the dial button. She clutched her bad arm tight to her side, dipping her head to the ground.

"Chloe…"

"Aw, c'mon Mad Max. I'm way too high to get all sad right now. C'mere."

She patted the empty space next to her on the bed as she scooted over.

Max hesitantly obliged. It felt too normal. The fact amplified even more so when Chloe reached over and mussed up her hair. She leered back, hugging her knees to her chest and earning a laugh from her blue-haired friend.

"Man, you haven't changed."

She puffed away at the hair hanging in her eyes, "Looks like you changed enough for the both of us though."

Chloe beamed at that, "Yeah, I'm hella badass now aren't I?"

Max laughed and gave a small nod, "Yeah… But, what were you doing with Nathan?

Her bravado faded as she threw herself down on the bed. She whistled through her teeth, "Always straight to the questions. Nosy as ever, huh?"

"I'm serious. That was scary."

"Well… Surprise! I'm a drug lord." She waved her hands in the air in a mock-celebratory fashion.

Max frowned, "Chloe, be real for a second."

Gray eyes vacantly met her own. She ransacked through a heap of mess next to her bed and pulled out a remote, turning on the old tube TV as she settled in to more of a relaxed pose.

"Sorry to ruin your sunshine and rainbows fantasy ideals of me, but this  _is_  me being real."

/

"Thanks for setting up that website so quick by the way. Who knew you were such a nerd, Vicky."

She bopped Taylor's head with her knee, who stuck her tongue out in reply.

The three of them had all managed to squeeze together on Taylor's couch. Courtney at the far end painting T's toenails, and Victoria tapping away at a MecBook on the other with the shorter blonde stretched out between them, head rested in her lap.

The house had pretty much been the Vortex headquarters lately, seeing as Taylor's parents were MIA. She had partially moved herself back in to look after the cat while they were away; some sort of business trip, supposedly.

"Ugh, hell no. I paid someone to do it, obviously."

_Liar._

"Hah! You had me worried that we'd have to ship you off to go play with Brooke or something."

Victoria rolled her eyes, leaning over her friend to snatch her glass off of the table. Of course, Taylor decided to seize the golden opportunity and chose to close the gap to give Victoria a brief motor boating.

She reeled, nearly spilling her drink all over the carpet and couch, "What the hell, T?!"

A blush crept its way up the back of her neck. Taylor and Courtney both seemed too preoccupied to notice though.

The bubbly drunk was shaking in a fit of giggles, "Oh come off it. That's probably the most action you've gotten in a year. You should be thanking me!"

She gave a sly wink.

Victoria hid her face behind a swig of her drink before pulling away in disgust. She swished the cup back and forth, frowning into its depths. Blueberry Vodka. That was the last time she trusted Courtney with picking up the booze.

"Soooo," Taylor probed, "What's with the celibacy anyways?"

Victoria was quick to raise a particular finger in her direction.

"Sorry that I don't want to be paraded around as a slut anymore?"

" _Buuuuuulllllllshit_. You were  _never_  a slut," Courtney began, rambling animatedly, "Everyone wants you because you're such a fucking tease. You always put up your 'hard to get' act. Guys just take that as a challenge, but even then you've hardly slept with anyone."

She always tried way too hard to back her up in hopes to earn her favor. Little did she know it just pushed Victoria even further away. Still, she figured it was useful to have her around in some scenarios,

Victoria scoffed, "Just because you've slept with twice as many guys as all of the girls at Blackwell combined doesn't mean I've hardly seen any action. Besides, I'm sure Kate would like to disagree with you on that opinion."

Taylor choked up at that, coughing her drink back in to her cup, much to Victoria's disgust.

"Yeah," She managed between coughs, "because she sure has room to say anything after that video."

Courtney laughed along with her, but Victoria remained in silent puzzlement at the turn of conversation. She arched a stern brow at the two of them in a demand for explanation.

The brunette gave her a strange look, "Did you even watch the video?"

She shrugged. She had made the website in a disinterested blur during their club meeting earlier that week, and she hadn't bothered to spend any further time on it. Tick that off as another mistake.

"No. Fucking. Way, "Courtney breathed, "You're in for such a treat."

Taylor swiped the laptop from her in record speed, sitting herself up and resting the device on both of their legs as she scooted closer.

Victoria straightened. In Taylor's lack of sobriety, she tended to forgo personal space as well.

The screen flashed as the buffer wheel disappeared, and distorted music started playing from the tiny speakers.

"Whoa, that girl is-"

_Holy shit._

She felt like her jaw was an intangible mess on the floor as she gaped at the screen. Taylor and Courtney erupted in to laughter next to her.

Kate swung from guy to guy as she made her rounds of the dancefloor, leaving sloppy grins on their faces as she pressed up against them. She made a wild spectacle of swapping spit with almost every single one of them, earning cheers and laughs from the surrounding crowd that had gathered.

"Girl, I can't believe you missed this party. This is probably the highlight of the year. If only it weren't for that Max bitch…"

"We should  _totally_  sneak this in for our grad ceremony."

Victoria couldn't process what they were saying, too absorbed by what she had just witnessed. Her eyes were still wide in shock.

"Was that  _Kate_!? How much did she even drink?"

They exchanged looks and shrugged.

Courtney yawned, emptying the bottle as she mixed herself another drink, "I dunno. It was kinda weird, she was hanging out with Nathan for most of the night."

Victoria folded her arms across her chest and shot them a glare, "Okay, now you're just messing with me."

"Noooope," Taylor popped her p as she snatched Courtney's cup, causing the other girl to pout dramatically.

"Seriously though, no. They just kind of… Sat by themselves and talked away from the rest of the group."

Courtney made toddler-esque grabbing motions with her hands at Taylor who proceeded to throw back her drink. Victoria followed suit, figuring she might as well help in any way she could to wash down Kate's absurd display.

"No," Taylor wagged a finger at Courtney before pushing her away by the nose, "You're driving."

The two of them were actually rather odd together once you got them drinking.

Defeated, Courtney sighed, "Where is Nathan anyways? I haven't seen him since this morning. I invited him over, but he hasn't texted back."

Weird. Now that she'd mentioned it, Victoria hadn't heard from Nathan all day. Usually she couldn't avoid him constantly checking up on her and nagging to hang out. Not that she normally minded his company, but her tolerance proved to be rather low as of recent.

"Considering the information you just gave me, he could be macking on Kate right now for all I know."

She cringed at the words as soon as they dropped from her mouth. Taylor pretended to gag, and she couldn't help but concur with that notion.

Courtney made a sound like a strangled squeal, "Ewwww. On that note, we are so leaving."

Victoria hummed. She couldn't help but catch something strange in a frame as the video looped over and over. As Kate's face flashed by it almost looked like her pupils were completely blown.

_Could that be…?_

"C'mon Vicky, I still have way too much homework to do."

She sighed, "Okay. But we're stopping for more drinks on the way back."

Nathan sure had a lot of explaining to do.

/

"Watching that movie just made me think of how you were so adamant on becoming a pirate when you grew up."

Chloe responded with a playful shove as they wound their way through the parking lot.

The campus was the perfect setting for a high school slasher flic during weeknights. Lampposts flickered as swarms of insects pranced around them, and the rural town was encased in a stiff silence as cars sat sleeping in their stalls. The courtyard lay vacant, as students were already locked away in their rooms for the day.

"Well, instead of selling stolen booty I'm selling drugs, so I'm just the modern version, right?"

Max frowned. She still hadn't fully registered that new tidbit of information. It was strange to think of her childhood partner in crime that way. Even though she was always a bit of a troublemaker, she couldn't shake the image of innocence from the face she left behind five years ago.

"You realize pirates still exist, right? So… modern pirates are equivalent to the modern version."

"Geez, details, Max. Don't ruin my fun."

Stranger was the fact that Chloe seemed so casual about it.

Chloe opened the door to the dormitories, sweeping down in a low bow like a proper gentleman. Max couldn't refrain from chuckling as she stepped through, but gave pause when her friend followed and stood facing her expectantly with a strange grin.

"Um…?"

"Max, are you still super huggy?"

She blushed a little, scratching behind her ear, "And you said I was the forward one with questions."

A devious glint worked its way in to her friend's eyes. Chloe barked out a laugh as she lunged and raised Max up in her gangly arms, swaying her from side to side on the tips of her feet.

Max tensed briefly before relaxing into it and squeezing her back, her laughter muffled as her face was pressed in to her companion's jacket. It would've been much more enjoyable if it didn't reek of stale beer and cigarettes.

Chloe stood triumphantly after she let her down, "Yup. Just as I remember you."

"Come on, I'm way more mature now. And cooler, thank you very much.

She rested her hands atop her head as she made a scene of avoiding Max's gaze, "Ehhhhhhh…"

Max placed a palm to her heart and shot her an over dramatic look, "You wound me."

Her friend smirked, "Okay. I'll give you more mature at least. But you're still a huge dork."

"Makes sense that I hang out with you then."

Chloe snorted as she backed away, pushing the door open with her rear, "Nope. This is charity work to repent for my evil ways. But uh, text me and let's hang out again okay?"

Max nodded as her friend departed with a wave. She watched through the window as she hopped down the steps and fumbled with for her lighter upon reaching the path.

She sighed contentedly. It was uncanny how comfortably they slipped back in to their old friendship. Max never really had a good connection with any of the friends she made in Seattle, and being around Chloe again was just so easy.

She froze as voices interrupted her thoughts, and turned to look for the source down the hallway.

/

Victoria normally wouldn't even conceive the idea to pass along her notes to a classmate in need. But she figured her friend was already failing without them, and couldn't possibly pose a threat.

She was about to make her way back upstairs until Courtney yanked on her arm.

" _What_?"

"Look."

Two figures entered the building, one oafishly following the other as they laughed. In the low light Victoria could barely make out the shorter girl. She clenched her jaw.

_Max._

Courtney whispered from her side, "Isn't that Chloe? The rugmuncher dealer?"

She gave a silent nod.

Victoria had met with her a few times before when Nathan was picking up party favors, though she honestly would've preferred if they hadn't. Much to Nathan's amusement, the grubby looking drug queen had the audacity to hit on her in a rather crude fashion. She didn't bother to accompany him again after that.

Her stomach sank as she watched them embrace one another. The two of them were sickeningly cute in body language alone. She found herself surprised by the spark of envy she found batting in her chest, quickly dismissing it as the mickey she had tapped in to earlier.

"Uh, since when is Max a part of team dyke? I'm so not showering anymore when  _she's_  around."

Victoria frowned, rolling her eyes. She was thankful for the shadows that kept her face hidden.

"She's probably just a big stoner," She said too sharply, "Explains why she's spaced out all the time."

The freckled astronaut in question started making her way down the hall toward them, timidly keeping her gaze to the floor.

They watched her quietly until she walked past and entered the stairwell, upon which Courtney decided to announce her departure loudly.

"Weeeeelllll, thanks for the notes Vicky, too bad about your shitty photography partner!" Courtney scampered off with a smug, knowing grin plastered across her face.

She'd almost forgotten about that in her drunken stupor.

She could practically feel her blood sizzle as she stormed off after the quirky brunette.

/

Max felt the judgmental glares throwing daggers in to her back as she passed by them silently.

She allowed herself a moment of relief, thinking that the pair had decided to leave her alone for the night. That is, until Victoria came in hot pursuit, grabbing her by the hood at the top of the stairwell.

She was spun around, powerless against Victoria's sullen rage as she stared her down. The taller blonde towered over Max, and she pressed a hand firmly against Max's collarbone until she backed in to the exit door.

"What the hell? You think you can blow  _me_  of all people off, then ignore me and walk on by?" The words were spat in her face, breath hot and smelling of the same bitter substance from the night in the parking lot.

_Oh, shit._

In the whirlwind of the day's events, she had completely forgotten about working together on the photography project.

"U-uh," She found herself choking on her words, the fact that Victoria kept inching in to her space wasn't helping. She felt like she couldn't swallow as dark glossy eyes held hers down.

" _Listen_ ," She seethed, "You think you're better than me?  _Good for you_. But you are  _not_  blowing off this project so you can go hang out with your lezbo  _girlfriend_."

"W-what? No no no, Chloe's  _not_  my girlfriend," She managed. In retrospect, of all the possible responses, she felt that one was pretty lame.

Victoria made a weird face as she dropped the hand she had fisted in to the collar of Max's favorite graphic tee.

"I don't give two shits what you do in your spare time. But tomorrow after school, you're  _mine_ , got it?"

Something about the delivery of her words gave Max chills. She gulped, nodding her head minutely as the blonde huffed in response, shoving past her with balled fists.

The way Victoria took it so personally seemed rather odd. Max didn't think missing one day as a big ordeal to get overly upset about and warrant such a reaction. She followed her after a moment of uncertainty.

"I'm sorry, Victoria. I'll make it up to you, okay?"

The willowy blonde faltered in her stride.

"I'm counting on it."


	9. Chapter 9

Max unfolded the little pink note for what was probably the hundredth time that day.

" _Don't talk to me._

_Don't text me._

_Wait in class after Photography is over._

_V"_

_Geez. She can sure be melodramatic._

The peculiar message had been slid under her door in the wee hours of the morning, left unnoticed until she had clumsily stepped on it and got it stuck to the bottom of her foot en route to the showers.

She cast a nervous glance sideways, watching as Victoria typed away with apathy on her phone as Mr. Jefferson monologued by the blackboard.

A million scenarios had run through her head by the time photography lecture had come around. It hadn't hit her that Victoria might've been involved with whatever was going on with Nathan until she had settled in to bed last night, which had done wonders for her sleep. At least he wasn't in class today. That in itself was a blessing.

"Hey, Max? Would it be okay if I borrowed your notes from the classes I missed?"

Max jerked, swerving around in her chair. Kate had been so quiet that it was easy to forget she was there.

Her eyes were sunken in, swathed by black and rimmed with pink. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, and there was an odd hollowness that permeated her voice where warmth used to be.

"Of course, Kate. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask."

She bobbed her head meekly, disheveled hair falling loosely around her face as she slid the notes in to the back of her binder before returning to her coarse scribbling.

_Too much?_

Max couldn't quite figure out where she resided in Kate's social spectrum. The distance she had created recently made it even more of a challenge than it normally was to gauge people's comfort levels. Any conversation had seemed curt, and as much as she wanted to pry, she didn't feel it was appropriate at this point. But that thought didn't ease the sadness that radiated when watching her friend.

"Kate?"

"Hmm?"

"Um," It felt like something was stuck in her throat, and she instinctively reached for something to fiddle with. "I could help you review this weekend. We could go get some tea?"

Kate's pen stilled over her page as she mulled it over, and for a moment Max felt certain she was going to say no.

"Sure."

She practically beamed in triumph. Kate didn't return her smile in full, but something livelier lingered in her eyes as she returned to her work.

/

As the bell chimed in it's declaration of liberty, Victoria sat rigid at her desk, straightening out her pages and stacking her books crisply with the edges in seamless parallel to each other. A dull ache throbbed behind her eyes, and she found herself questioning her drinking habits not for the first time that day.

She could feel Max's presence across from the aisle, heavy and thick like the morning ocean fog. Her figure was vaguely visible in her peripheral vision, and she could just make out the nervous fidgeting as she sat in apprehension.

Victoria inhaled deeply, gathering the nerve to rise from her seat and close the distance. She counted a few seconds longer after Mark had left for the dark room to work on some of his new developments.

_Twenty-Nine. Thirty._

The chair screeched loudly, echoing in the empty room as she rose, causing her to flinch. It suddenly made her feel far too mechanical and awkward in her actions, and she paused to recompose herself before stalking over to her partner in wait.

She adjusted the collar of her blouse before clearing her throat, "Maxine."

"Oh, uh, hi Victoria… I didn't notice you there." Max responded with an uneven voice, casting her eyes up but not quite meeting her own.

"Mhmm..."  _Such a terrible liar. "_  Let's go."

Spinning on her heel and taking off with long strides, she listened with amusement as Max hastily collected her belongings and scurried after her. A knowing smirk found its way to her face.

As odd as she was, she was still easy to string along just like anyone else. The ball was in her court now; Max had an obligation and Victoria was going to milk it for all it's worth.

They walked without any verbal exchange, Max trailing a few steps behind her, clutching her books to her chest with her head tucked down. Icy glares were being handed out freely to anyone who dared give the odd duo a questioning glance, and all recipients immediately found something else more interesting to focus on.

It wasn't until Victoria was unlocking her car that Max spoke up.

"Um. So. What are we doing?"

She turned, looking down her nose condescendingly, "We're working elsewhere, because I'd rather not spoil my image by being seen civil with you."

She stood her ground proudly, practically expecting for Taylor or Courtney to back her up with a chorale of laughter. None came. And neither did the usual satisfaction. The lack of retort felt emptying.

Max sighed, a mess of hair falling forward as her posture sank, "So that's how you're going to be… Let's just get this over with, then."

She trotted over to the other side, opening the door and throwing herself in the passenger seat in a huff.

Victoria felt stunned, her mind raging in two directions at how to proceed. She quickly scanned the parking lot before hopping in the drivers seat, placing the keys in the ignition without starting the engine.

"I was just…Um. Whatever. Sorry, okay? I thought we could do some beach shots."

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It was rather baffling that someone so awkward could make her feel so… awkward.

Max locked her phone screen, staring at it pensively before responding, "Why do you want to take beach photos? We haven't even gone over what we're going to do."

"Yeah, but I need to see you in action."

"Huh?"

"Like," Victoria could feel heat rising to her cheeks as the words tried to find their way out, "I need to see how you do it. How you shoot. How you get your results. "

Max had a bemused look on her face, but she nodded anyway, "Okay..."

Victoria sighed in relief, glad that she didn't have to try and offer more of an explanation. The radio came to life as she turned the key, and she expertly maneuvered around their peers as they left the school grounds.

"So," Her companion began after some time had passed, "… Did you see Nathan at all today?"

That was the last thing she was expecting Max to converse about.

She narrowed her eyes as she stared at the road ahead, coldly replying, "No, why?"

"Um, I just thought it was weird that he wasn't in class. Is… he okay?" The lack of confidence in her voice betrayed any sincerity she tried to pull off. There was something else that must've been on her mind.

_Information for information._

"I haven't seen him for a few days, I wouldn't know," She offered, "What's it matter to you?"

"Uh," She had to pause, "I was just curious is all."

"Cut the bullshit."

Max tensed in a comically startled manner, and Victoria could practically see the cogs turning as she quickly tried to stumble through her options.

Her next words came out with such conviction that she couldn't even think to dispute them, "He seems… unstable."

She tightened her grip on the leather bound wheel, and couldn't help but nod in agreeance, "Yeah."

/

Max watched closely as Victoria fell quiet, hands tightening their grip on the wheel. She continued to drive on without any more elaboration, eyes fixated to the road.

 _Was she lying?_  Something about her reaction seemed genuine, but it was hard to tell with her. Either way, she hadn't tried to kill her yet so that was a plus.

Before she could open her mouth to speak again, her body lurched forward as Victoria slammed on the brakes, swerving the car towards the ditch.

Glass shattered and crunched as a giant stag sailed through the windshield, tufts of hair shredding loose in a blizzard. Victoria screamed, and the car veered to a halt as it swung in to the bordering strand of pines.

After what felt like a few minutes lost to disorientation, she shook the haziness from her head. Her neck protested in pain, but the sounds next to her distracted her from her own condition. Max's stomach dropped as she looked to her side.

Dark red blotches stained pale cashmere where antlers gouged through Victoria's torso, and blood dribbled down her chin as she gurgled and choked on her breath.

_Oh god. Oh… god._

"I…. Can't…" Victoria coughed, and more red sprayed from her mouth as she struggled with her words.

Adrenaline worked its way through Max's veins and she managed to fight back the panic that threatened to overflow. She instantly knew what she had to do.

Her head pulsed as the scene played in reverse, objects moving fluidly yet somehow disjointed at the same time. It was a confusing flux of motion that she found herself getting lost in, and she didn't realize where she was until she heard Victoria's voice again.

"Yeah."

Her head pounded. The car was moving forward in space again, and it took her a moment to remember to act.

"Victoria, stop!"

"What?"

She latched on to her shoulder with a firm hand and tugged sharply.

"Victoria, stop the car!" She pleaded, desperation taking over in a whine.

The car came to a sudden halt on the shoulder of the road. Victoria turned on her sharply, but quickly whipped around as a large buck leapt from the bushes on to the road in front of them.

Max let out a sigh of relief, her body still shaking with nerves from the previous collision, "That was close."

_Closer than you'll ever know._

Victoria gaped as she peered over the wheel before reeling on her.

"Whoa, how did you even see that?"

"Uh, I have a good eye for detail?" She scratched at the back of her neck, suddenly feeling very self-conscious under her stare.

The blonde pursed her lips. She didn't look convinced in the slightest.

"No way. You were hardly even paying attention. If you saw it, I would've seen it."

Max shrugged, "Well, I guess you didn't."

She held the stare for a few seconds longer before letting it go and bringing the car back on to the road.

_If only my new weird time powers came with people powers._

The beach rolled in to view as they descended the bank. Victoria leaned against her car after parking, fixing on an expensive looking lens to her equally expensive looking camera.

She gave Max a once-over before peering through the viewfinder and taking a photo of her.

"Huh? Hey!"

She sniggered as she looked at the electronic display, "Take a pill, geez Maxine. You still look rattled as hell."

_Easy for you to say. I just saw you nearly die._

Max grimaced, fishing her camera out from her bag. She clutched at it with trembling hands, feeling out of place as Victoria examined her.

"Um. Are you going to watch me the whole time?"

She walked away onto the empty expanse of pale sand, making a sound of disgust in the back of her throat, "Ugh, no. You wish."

As she made her way towards the water, Max stood back and watched, framing the blonde against the sky's orange hues and the endless dark ocean beyond. Her loose cardigan and skirt billowed out to the side in the seaside breeze, and her hair gently rustled around her head in a halo of gold. The sun sank earlier in the fall, and for that Max was grateful. No more late nights searching for the soft lighting she adored, instead they came to her naturally.

The camera clicked and spewed out a fresh sheet of film, making it's way in to Max's folder after she gave it a quick shake. She loved the wobbly sound photos made as they waved through the air. The picture was slightly out of focus, as Max couldn't seem to hold a steady grip with her hand incapacitated by her splint. But she found herself liking it regardless.

Following in Victoria's footsteps, she observed as the willowy figure stopped every so often, turning certain dials every now and then before taking a shot. Max took another photo as she stopped by an abandoned fire pit, capturing Victoria's sullen expression as she stared down at the scorched remains. She looked to be pretty sluggish and tired in her movements, and Max couldn't help but think that she slept even less than she did.

Victoria quirked a brow as she caught Max's eye.

"Have you just been taking pictures of me?"

"Uh, well, mostly… But… I mean,"

"Chill," She scoffed, "I'm just surprised you aren't absorbed in your selfies."

Max tried her best attempt of a glower, "I don't _just_  take selfies. Just as I'm sure you don't just take headshots."

"Yeah, but there's nothing  _wrong_  with my headshots," She called out over her shoulder while sauntering over to the rocky outcropping, "C'mon. There's an inlet over here."

_I really need to stop hanging around people with long legs._

She jogged after her, staying on the beach below close by. She didn't trust her motor skills enough to climb after her on the erratic stony surface. Her scuffed and faded sneakers had zero traction anyways. Or so she told herself.

Her companion scaled the rocks with the ease of a goat. Max chewed the skin around her nails nervously, watching her at the top with her face fixed to the camera instead of where she stood. When she lowered her camera, she had a strange look of deep thought clouding her face. There was something so innocent about it that struck a chord with Max, and she found herself taking another picture before she could help herself. There was something really pretty about Victoria when she wasn't making an enemy out of everyone.

The moment was instantly ruined when Victoria scowled as she descended towards her, and Max found herself shrinking away from the powerful glare.

"Let's g-"She fumbled down the last few steps in some kind of miss-step, and Max audibly gasped. A ringing crack split through the air as her head hit a jagged point.

"Victoria?!"

_Holy shit._

Her stomach sank, and a queasy feeling crept in as the body lay limp in reply.

Scrambling up the rocks with disregard to her previous concerns of self-preservation, she shakily reached out to the fallen figure and gave her shoulder a slight shake.

"Victoria?"

She was out cold. Apparently the universe had some sort of bone to pick with Victoria today.

_No way, please, not again._

Max teetered backwards warily. She forcefully inhaled and exhaled to calm herself. Her head still had a resounding ache from earlier, but she couldn't just leave her in that state.

_Twice in one day. You can do this Max._

As the continuum of time and space spiraled backwards, her stomach seemed to be swirling along with it. The world shook like it was swaying in a seesaw motion and it felt as if her own skull threatened to split in two, but she ground her teeth against the sensation and stood her ground until she couldn't bear it any longer.

Victoria scowled as she descended towards her, and Max found herself shrinking away from the pain that lanced behind her eyes.

_Wait._

She fumbled forward into action as Victoria spoke, "Let's g-"

Max managed to reach out and grasp her by the arms as she tripped, pulling her forwards towards the soft sandy expanse. She landed with a hard thud on hear rear, catching Victoria's weight as she flopped on top of her.

"Urgh," Max screwed her eyes shut, rubbing at her temple where Victoria's elbow managed to strike her during the tumble.

"Jesus Caulfield!" She seethed, "Are you alright?" A delicate hand cupped her cheek as Victoria lifted her face to get a better look.

"'M fine…" Max dropped her hand as the other girl brushed her hair aside, making a face before she poked at the bump forming. Max winced, unintentionally bringing their faces closer together as she pitched forward.

Victoria sat statuesque, eyes wide like saucers. She averted her gaze, only to take in that she was straddling her lap as they sat in a heap on the deserted coastline.

"Ugh," She hastily removed herself from Max's immediate vicinity and stood, brushing the sand off of her skirt as she did so.

Max swore she could've saw a slight tinge of scarlet sweeping its way on to Victoria's face, but then again it could've just been from the wind chill. A hand extended down to her shortly after and she blinked in surprise before accepting it.

/

_What is wrong with me today?_

She hefted Max up, taking a large step back as she did so. She couldn't fathom why she felt so flustered at their closeness, nor did she want to think about it too much either.

There was no way she could've tripped like that; she was always careful and precise in all her movements. But she watched herself flail helplessly as her foot appeared to have passed through a stone she  _knew_  was there.

_I must be going crazy._

" _Oh_ ," she wrinkled her nose in distaste as she shifted her attention back at the brunette, "Shit, your nose is bleeding."

"Huh?" Max reached for her face, successfully smearing blood all along her fingertips as she checked for herself.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Her companion looked to be lost in some kind of haze as she studied her hand vacantly.

Max shook her head, and it reminded Victoria of a shaggy dog.

She protruded some tissue from her purse and handed it to her. Max took too a long pause before accepting them and wiping her face.

"What about you?"

"What  _about_  me?"

"Falling like that," She mumbled behind the bloody wad of paper, "Are you feeling faint?"

She felt like an ass for having replied so rudely.

"I… I don't know. I guess I'm probably still a bit hung-over," She mused, chewing on her lower lip.

Max blew her nose, and it looked like a blood clot found its way out in to the mix. Victoria blanched a little in disgust. There's no way that was healthy.

"Seriously Maxine," Victoria chided with a stern voice, "You don't look too well. Let's get you home."

She nodded slowly, not in any position to put up a fight or protest. As she looked down to stuff the crumpled red and white wad in to her pocket, her eyes went wide after scouring the ground.

Max groaned hoarsely, barely audible over the ambient noise of the waves, "For cereal?"

Following her gaze, her jaw dropped as she caught on to the subject of interest, "Fuck! I'm so sorry!"

She pulled back at her hair as she watched Max kneel and collect the crunched remains of her dated camera with a child-like pout. The fixed lens was cracked as well as buffed by sand, and the flash fixture had managed to snap off completely.

"My… Mum bought this for me…"

Max swayed as she rose, but Victoria managed to catch her by the arm before she could tip over.

"Whoa, easy," She continued to hold her steady as the brunettes eyes wandered listlessly. Something was definitely not right with her.

"Let's get you to the car."

A weak nod was all she got in reply before the other girl collapsed most of her weight on to Victoria. She swallowed involuntarily.

The walk back was clumsy and slow, and Victoria found herself studying Max more than was probably necessary, convincing herself that it was out of concern. There was something inordinately beautiful about the dark undercurrents of blue that her eyes possessed.

_What._

She stopped looking at her after that, deciding to hasten the pace.

/

It wasn't until Max slouched in to her seat that she noticed Victoria was sniveling.

"Are you, uh… crying?"

Victoria stopped rubbing her eyes to shoot her an irate glare. "No!" She snapped, "Ugh… I think I have sand behind my contacts."

She rummaged through her bag, pulling out a weird looking plastic capsule. Max spectated quietly as Victoria continued to pluck out the small spherical discs from her eyes with great effort as she squinted in to the tiny car mirror.

As she deposited the capsule back in to her purse, she withdrew another case in its place. Thick-framed auburn glasses were procured from within, and Victoria toyed with them uneasily before letting resting them upon her face.

Her mouth started running on autopilot, "You look really good in glasses. Why don't you wear them more?"

"Tch," Victoria scoffed, "Spare me the sarcasm."

"No, really. They make you look smart."

Something in Victoria ticked, "And I don't normally?"

_Of course she has to make this difficult._

"Er, no, I didn't mean," She mumbled, trying to explain her train of thought, "They just, um, it's really cute."

Victoria was definitely blushing this time. She expected her to soak up the compliment like a beam of sunlight cast upon her overbearing ego in a brilliant glow, but instead she seemed to be a bit flustered.

The blonde leaned her head against the window as she huffed in exasperation, "Why do you do that?"

Max gaze her a puzzled look, "Do what?"

"Be nice to me," She said in a startlingly small voice, "Especially when I'm such a bitch to you."

She hadn't really figured that out for herself yet. Sometimes she just spoke her mind without any forethought. Max sat in brief deliberation before shrugging, "Because  _you're nice to me_  sometimes. I don't think you're inherently bitchy."

A few minutes passed, the sound of the water calmly lapping against the shore vivid in the lack of further exchange. It gave her a jump when the engine thundered, breaking the spell.

"I guess you're feeling better since you're talking now. You should still get home and rest though, we can continue tomorrow."

Victoria refused to meet her eyes when she looked over, and she couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips.


	10. Chapter 10

The stuccoed ceiling offered no reprieve to the questions that bubbled about in her head. After spending the latter part of the evening bitching and killing time with Taylor, she couldn't stop herself from reflecting back on the time she spent with Max. She reached an arm under her bed, retrieving her stash of cigarettes. Lighting one, she let it hang in her mouth before taking a dissatisfied drag.

_Why did I fall like that?_

She flopped on to her side, crushing a pillow to her chest. There was something peculiar about it that wouldn't stop nagging at the back of her mind, and nor could she get over the deer incident.

_Do I need to get my eyes checked again? Was I hallucinating?_

She looked to the foot of her bed, wiggling her toes back at her in response. Everything appeared crisp as it should, maroon painted nails glinting back at her in the low light. She wrinkled her nose in frustration, taking another puff before feeling faintly sick.  _No_ , her footing was fine. A million theories blinked through her thoughts, though all were far-fetched works of fiction. The only theory that contained even a semblance of what she had witnessed was that she walked right through the rock into nothingness.

_It was like I was…_

"A ghost," she murmured, to nobody in particular. She would've laughed aloud at herself, but couldn't surmise the energy. Sure she was hung-over, but she knew for certain that she was placing her foot on something that wouldn't send her in to the free fall tumble that had occurred. She didn't make mistakes like that.

_Unless I'm actually drunk._

Groaning, she couldn't help but remember the first time she had managed to topple the brunette over. It was weird to think Max would even bother being humane with her after that, especially with the rumor she had spread around to escape her own embarrassment.

_A self serving bitch 'til the end._

Spending time around Max had proved to be a whole new ballpark of confusion. Those thoughts she tried to stifle more than others.

_If I were in her position, I sure wouldn't want to be friends with me._

She tugged at a loose thread in the sleeve of Max's old sweater that she was given. The cozy knit had become her favorite thing to lounge in, by far comfier than anything else she owned. It was strange how things had unraveled with the brunette without any conscious direction. Despite her own behavior at the time, the memory it brought back made her crack a faint smile.

Maybe it was time she tried to give back a little. Just to ease her own guilt, of course.

/

Max could hardly even remember getting to her room last night. She had woken up in a heap of blankets, still dressed in her clothes from the day before. Her head was feeling a solid ten compared to yesterday's big fat zero, but she still couldn't shake the fear that lingered. It hadn't occurred to her that she really had no understanding of her power or its limits. She had asked Warren in chemistry earlier what his stance was on time travel, but all he could really offer were movie recommendations. Clearly more research was in order before she did any more heavy time winding.

"Hey,"

It was the same routine as yesterday, though the cryptic note was replaced with an early morning text instead. Victoria had approached her desk well after everyone else had disappeared, flashing her signature scowl that was famously feared among the halls of Blackwell.

"Oh, hi," She intoned back. As nice as it was that Victoria was being, well, nice to her, it was an unpredictable affair. It was probably better to err on the side of caution.

The blonde stood tall in front of her, arms folded across her chest as she stared her down. She averted her eyes after some consideration, raising a hand to look over her nails in indifference. Something about it seemed peculiar, a shot off from the usual confidence she boasted.

"So," She exhaled, breaking the hush that had uncomfortably settled in, "How are you feeling today?"

Max tilted her head, tapping a blue pen against her chin, "Well, pretty good, considering. Can't take any more pictures now though."

Victoria groaned, slapping her hand over her face, "Yes, I'm a  _horrible_  person, I get it."

"Admittance is the first step,"  _So much for the cautious approach._

But to her surprise, Victoria cracked a sharp laugh instead of raising her hackles, "Well, as long as we're clear. Anyway, let's go over our photos from yesterday. I uploaded mine to my laptop already."

"Uh," Max took a moment to chew on her pen before deciding to push her luck, "Can we eat first? I was starving yesterday... I usually have a snack after class."

"Oh," Victoria shifted her weight to one heel with eyebrows raised, "Go ahead. I'll be waiting in my room."

Now that Max thought about it, she'd never even seen Victoria in the dining hall before. Let alone eating.

_Maybe she's secretly a vampire. That's why she has to be so mean. A thousand years old with no moral code._

Victoria cleared her throat as Max started to spiral in her thoughts, forcing her to refocus her attention.

"You, don't you want to eat at all? Maybe that's why you fell yesterday. Low blood sugar."

"Well…" Her voice trailed off in consideration.

"You have your laptop with you anyway. I can multi-task."

She still didn't look very convinced as she narrowed her eyes skeptically, but ended up shrugging as some form of acceptance anyway, "Okay. But we're sitting in the back where less people can see us."

_Typical._

Walking around campus with Victoria was such a strange affair. She always too far ahead or too far behind to actually converse with, which resulted in an uncomfortable silence as they marched on edge to their destination.

As they neared the dining hall, chatter overflowed from its doors out into the courtyard. A bustle of activity always clamored within as students took full advantage of the every-day all you can eat offerings. It was pretty common for the more diligent students to bring their entire workstations to work there all day whilst chugging back coffee and refilling trays until they got kicked out for closing. She looked over her shoulder as she placed a hand on the door. Victoria was stopped a few steps behind her, glued to her phone, and she couldn't help but wonder who she was texting.

_Probably Nathan._

Upon opening the doors, the blonde strut right past her towards the back of the hall without even a passing glance at the food line.

_Does she ever actually eat?_

As she watched her walk away, it didn't strike her until then how thin her companion actually was. She could make out the bumps of her spine protruding against the fabric of her sweater, and her wrists were almost half the size of her own. A certain sense of fragility seemed to overtake her old concepts of Victoria as Max dissected her in her stride.

_Maybe a zombie, not a vampire. Though zombies normally aren't beauty queens. Hmm._

"Maximus Prime!"

A voice rang in her ear, and a hand clamped down on her shoulder, causing her to jump. Warren beamed back at her with an overbearingly toothy grin. His enthusiasm always managed to have a blinding quality to it.

"J-Jeez, Warren! You scared me." She grabbed a large tray as she stepped forward in line, though it was more so to put a physical barrier between them than for food.

He stretched, getting in line behind her while completely oblivious to her discomfort, "Aw, man. Sorry about that, I didn't think you'd be so jumpy!"

"Can't you just um… Dial it back a little?"

"Hm," He scratched at his chin, "Nah! Not when my favorite chem buddy is involved."

She would kill to be able to just disappear right there and then. He continued to pester her with his usual ramblings as they progressed through the line, and it wasn't until they reached the end that she realized she had been filtering him out and nodding along aimlessly.

"So, you gonna come sit and hang out with me and Brooke?"

"A-Actually… I'm here with Victoria."

A boisterous laugh erupted from his chest, "Hah! Goooood one. C'mon, we're sitting over here."

He grabbed her by the arm to lead her off, but she sharply yanked away, earning a befuddled look. It was akin to that of a dog not getting it's treat.

_Who's a good boy? Not you, apparently._

"No, seriously. I'm working on a photography project with her."

He made an exaggerated "o" motion with his mouth before grimacing, "Man, what'd you do to deserve that punishment?"

"Um, nothing, it's not that bad, I mean-"

"Say  _whaaaaat!_?" He all but yelled, "You're not being brainwashed into being her new Vortex slave are you? Don't worry Max. Whatever spell she has you under, I'm here to save the day."

She cut a glance over to where Victoria sat, who shot them an acrid glare. Even in a crowded room, Warren still managed to be way too generous with his level of volume.

"No," She exhaled gruffly, "It's not like that, I-"

" _Okay then_ ," He swirled a finger aside his head in the age-old cuckoo sign. She  _really_  detested when he interrupted her. "Anyway, we should hang out this weekend. I'll text you later!"

_Of course you will._

He trotted on over to Brooke, who shot her a look so foul it put Victoria's to shame.

Speaking of whom, an uncertain voice greeted her as she set down the tray and offered her a coffee, "What's this?"

"Um… I just kinda grabbed a bit of everything since I don't know what you like. And coffee, because apparently that's all you run on."

That seemed to amuse her. She shot Max a playful look before taking a sip.

"Ah. Black, just like my soul," She ridiculed, before her tone turned sour, "Are you sure you wouldn't rather go sit with your boyfriend?"

Max outwardly cringed at the thought.

_Do people think that? Does Warren think that?_

"No offense, but I'd rather date Nathan than Warren."

Victoria made a show of frowning into her cup, "Nathan's not  _that_  bad."

 _Sure, bringing a gun to school and shooting people is totally acceptable behaviour._ She had to bite her tongue to hold back her snarky response.

"What's with you and Nathan anyway? Aren't you a thing?"

Victoria nearly spluttered her coffee out all over her laptop, breaking in to a fit of coughs but still managing to shake her head.

"Hell no," She fared between gasps, "Nathan's like my brother."

 _Oh._ That made a lot more sense. But it didn't help the unease she felt about Nathan at all. If anything, it made her feel more prone around Victoria.

"Say-"

"Before you ask, he's just been at home sick for the past few days."

It was kind of uncanny how she could read her like that. She didn't know if she should feel disturbed or relieved that she didn't have to try and weasel her way around the question. Max shrugged in response, jabbing a fry towards Victoria's laptop screen, "Are those all the shots you took the other day? They're pretty good."

/

Victoria pushed away the greasy morsel with distaste. The platter sat between them in front of her laptop, host to a curious array of cafeteria horrors. A bowl of soup, fries, half a sandwich, a slab of mystery meat lasagna, a pear, and some sort of salad all beckoned to the empty pit grumbling within her.

Her brow creased as she snipped back, "Of course they are. I'm not in this program for nothing."

Max caught her staring down the food, and pushed the tray a bit closer to her. "It's not going to kill you. More of the opposite really. Coffee alone won't run your body."

_I wish it did._

She sighed, rolling her eyes before picking out the wilted looking salad as the most calorie-friendly option before pushing the tray back, "Whatever. Where are your pictures?"

It made her stomach do a weird little flip when Max flashed a smile at her, apparently satisfied with her making a selection. She rifled through a folder, pulling out several polaroids for them to pour over.

"These are all out of focus," She noticed immediately after a quick glimpse.

Max nodded, speaking around a mouthful of fries, "Yeah, can't help it." She waved around her splinted arm.

_Ah yes. Another reason why you should hate me._

"But there's something really amazing about them," Victoria licked her lips in concentration as she intently inspected the photos, "These… blow mine out of the water."

She lined them up neatly on the table, ordered from her favorite to least favorite. Chewing on her lip, she let out a grumbled of annoyance, "I don't get it. Yours are underexposed, overexposed, there's no post-processing tune ups, they're shaky, and mine are  _perfect_  technique-wise. But yours still have something... better."

It was a tough blow to her ego admitting that, but she couldn't hide the truth of it. The evidence was laid clear in front of her. Max's photos just had a certain genius that hers lacked. Victoria furrowed her brow. She ground her jaw on her salad leaves at a gruelingly slow rate. It never dawned on her how hungry she always was until she actually started eating, and she had to force herself to eat as slow as possible lest she overextend. She already felt gross enough eating in front of other people.

Max hummed in thought at her side, "Hmmm. It's subjective, really."

Victoria caught her looking at her funny out of the corner of her eye, and turned her chair around to look straight at her.

"Subjective.  _Okay_. So, how do you  _subjectively_  formulate your shots?"

Shrinking back, her companion swirled a fry around in her soup before taking a nibble.  _Gross._

"Uhhh," She plucked out the picture on the farthest left. It showcased Victoria standing atop the rocky mound gazing out across the water, looking rather forlorn.

"When I… Um, taking photographs for me is like," Max tugged at the neck of her t-shirt nervously, and it took Victoria a moment to remove her attention from her prominent collarbone.

"I look for little pieces of the world that I want to understand. It's less of looking for the perfect shots and more of looking for moments..."

She blushed under Victoria's scrutiny who gave her an encouraging but curt nod, "Go on."

"Moments that… I want to fit in to. Hah, well. I don't know. That's it really. I mean… I'm obviously not a social wizard. It's just a way for me to observe and be a part of the world too."

_Did she really just say social wizard? Point taken._

Victoria gave Max an inquiring look asking for permission before grabbing the photo she had selected. She leaned back in her chair, taking a long moment to drink it in. It was too bright and blurred, though funnily enough her expression was crisp. She didn't realize how sad she had looked.

"I was thinking of my dad," She said suddenly without the intention to, "He took me to the same place to take some shots when I was younger. His are way better than mine, of course."

"Your dad?"

" _You don't know_? Auguste Chase. Owner and founder of the  _Chase space_?"

Max looked absolutely flabbergasted. For someone who seemed to always be poking her nose in everybody's business, she was sure out of the know. Victoria expected the typical onslaught of questions about him, but they never came. Nor did the sudden reverence.

"May I?" Max hovered a hand over the mouse before Victoria nodded solemnly. The brunette scrolled through the picture feed on her digital workstation, stopping to laugh as they landed on the picture that was taken of her.

"Wow, now I know why you all call me an astronaut."

"Yeah, you looked  _extra_  spacey yesterday."

"It's a good shot though, better than the landscapes," She continued her scrolling through some of Victoria's past shoots, and she let it slide without complaint.

"Wow. All of your portraits are amazing. You have a good eye, very Richard Avedon-esque."

Victoria swore she could've died happily right then and there. Avedon was one of her photography heroes; to have her work comparative to his was the highest of praise she could receive. As much as she played up her confidence, she could never even begin to pretend to be that confident in her work.

She scoffed, turning her head to hide the heat that flared across her cheeks. "You're just saying that to get on my good side."

"No, really. These are great, no, amazing. I don't get why you have to bring everyone else down when you're so talented."

_Yeah, because that sure gets me far._

Pulling a fry from the pile and examining it over as if some kind of alien specie, she managed a frown. She gave it a dunk in Max's soup before taking a bite. It was surprisingly not terrible.

"Like I said when we first met,  _the best man wins_. I don't gain anything by wasting time making  _'friends'_."

"But… it doesn't hurt either. Then you can help each other."

_In a perfect world, maybe._

Snapping her laptop shut, she stood, remembering something she had surmised earlier.

"Let's go," Upon seeing Max's look of bewilderment she added, "I have something for you."

/

A strange sense of déja vu washed over her as she stepped inside Victoria's room. It was so incredibly reminiscent of the room at her parents, yet so shockingly dissimilar at the same time. The common theme that seemed to jump at her was order, and hand in hand with that came the quiet restraint. Though there was more to look at that could be considered expression, Max had the feeling that Victoria only let show what she wanted people to see. There was something too cold and premeditated to it that she couldn't shake.

"Just give me a minute, take a seat," Victoria grumbled as she rummaged through her desk drawers.

_And this is where she pulls the gun on me. Surprise, your 'something' is a bullet Maxine! Mwuahaha..._

Max nearly laughed aloud at her own thoughts, having to bite her cheeks and instead busying herself with further investigating the contents of Victoria's room. A familiar looking booklet sat atop a dresser, and she found herself leafing through it before she could reason against herself.

 _Wow, she's a total Jefferson groupie._ As good as he was, not everyone could say they went out of their way to buy his books. She replaced it back in its resting spot, only to catch a glimpse of a shelf tucked away underneath the one above. A scarf draped over it, concealing it well to those who didn't give it a second glance. Not to super detective Max Caulfield though.

Who _hides a shelf? That's kind of contradictory to its purpose._

Turning her back to check, Victoria was still preoccupied at her desk, rifling through a bag and muttering to herself. The fabric peeled back with minimal effort, and hidden beneath lay a vast collection of colorful figurines.

"No way," She breathed, unable to withhold her disbelief.

Almost dropping whatever she was working on, Victoria whipped around and scrambled over to her, making haste to yank the scarf back down, "What the fuck Maxine? I said sit down, not snoop around!"

Max raised her hands in defeat, staggering backwards. If looks could kill, then Victoria would definitely be a dojo master in its art. It was the death glare to end all death glares. She took back what she thought about Brooke's glowering earlier.

Breaking in to a nervous sweat, she managed to sputter, "I-I can't help it! But… Was that… A glow in the dark  _Yoko Littnerr_?"

_Among Madoka, Sailor moon, Motoko, and I swear I saw Revy…_

Eyes narrowed again at her, and she then realized she had missed the initial queue to shut up about it, "Never speak of this."

"But-"

A finger jabbed towards her face as a snarl ripped across Victoria's, "I swear to god Caulfield. If you tell  _anyone_ , you're gonna regret ever stepping foot in Blackwell."

Being on Victoria's bad side was the last thing she wanted. Especially with the possibility of Nathan being involved considering their closeness.

"I-I won't, promise," She gulped, nodding vigorously.

_Nobody would believe me anyways._

Victoria's demeanor immediately shifted, shoulders dropping a couple of inches as she walked back over to the desk and beckoned Max over. She turned around slowly, looking almost torn in her own actions.

_Is Victoria Chase getting all shy on me? What dimension did I skip in to?_

"Because I broke yours," She said it so quietly that Max had to lean in to hear her.

A sleek looking black camera was handed over to her, and all she could manage in response was to blink dumbly back at her. It took her a bit of processing before she grasped what she meant.

"Wh-What?! Victoria, there's no way I can take this. This is probably worth more than everything I-!"

"Please," She cut in brusquely, "Just take it. It's the old model and I don't use it anyways. I have more cameras than I need."

"I…"

 _Oh Dog_ , It was a nice camera. She remembered seeing reviews for it online when it was released a few years ago. Fastest autofocus in its class, self-cleaning, incredible ISO range, continuous shooting at over 12 frames per second…

_Drool._

She turned it over in her hands a few times to examine it better, unable to find words in her mesmerized state.

"Um," Victoria held out a bag over towards her as well, "It has a prime les on it right now, but there's another one and a nice zoom as well that I threw in with it. Oh, and an extra battery and a charger."

"I don't know how I can ever pay you back," The whole situation seemed ridiculous. If Max wound back in time and told herself a week ago that Victoria was going to give her a top of the line camera, she would think herself insane. Especially for talking to her future self, mind you.

"You don't."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, whatever, it's not a big deal," She waved a hand to dismiss her before she could protest further, "This is just so I don't feel guilty anymore."

"So you do have a  _conscience_."

Victoria rolled her eyes, but Max didn't miss the amused smirk that glided across her face in a fleeting moment.

Unable to refrain herself, she popped off the lens cover and turned it on. A bright LCD display flashed to life, though it was all Greek to Max. She took a peek through the viewfinder at Victoria, who stood stiffly in front of her, arms folded over her chest and eyes cast to the floor.

"I have no idea what half these buttons do," She muttered in realization before she could take a shot.

"Here,"

Victoria was suddenly at her side, soft hands overtop of hers as she steered her own amongst the controls, "This ones a custom function. I have it set to manually change ISO."

For someone so outwardly cold, her movements were all warmth and had a certain gentleness to them. They stood in close proximity as she guided her through, and Max found that the temperature started to shift, making the room feel ten degrees too hot.

"This dial changes your aperture settings, and this one-"

"Victoria," Max blurted, causing the other girl to flinch.

Gold-flecked green eyes blinked down at her expectantly, only causing the feeling to intensify.

"I… Um. I think it'd be easier for me to look up the user manual online."

Victoria took an eager step back, realizing for herself the limited space in which they shared.

She gave her a quick nod, "Yeah, um, right."

Neither of them looked at each other after that, finding the wood paneling far more interesting instead. Max could see Victoria's arms hanging limp at her sides with hands folded together in a fidgeting jumble. It was weird to see someone she pictured so uptight and controlled all the time to lose her words and look... vulnerable.

A nagging thought called back to her.

"Hey,"

Victoria perked up.

"How did you um… The other day, in class when I was kind of,  _you know_ , freaking out, how did you know what to do?"

She shrugged it off casually, "Just some prior experience."

 _Your vagueness is astounding._  She got the feeling that Victoria wouldn't care to share though, and she didn't dare push her buttons any further after the shelf discovery.

"Oh. Well, thanks again for that… And the camera now too."

She shrugged dismissively, but Max continued, "You're not as bad as everyone says. Sorry about Warren earlier."

Jarring laughter erupted, a throaty and callous staccato beat, "I'm used to it. As if I give a shit about what Warren thinks."

Max couldn't help but concur with that sentiment.

The atmosphere relaxed after that, and the two of them settled in to writing up a plan for their project. They surprisingly worked well together. Victoria was a stern and organized leader, and Max flowed well with her guidance that for the most part kept her in line. That was easier than usual being under Victoria's vigilant watch, but it was inevitable that her mind would still wander sometimes.

_I think you do though… I think you care way too much about what others think._


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Okay. Enough of that fluff-ish stuff in the last chapter. Its not my best type of writing anyways.
> 
> But do you guys like parallels? 'Cause here you go.
> 
> PS, thanks to all who review/comment, and please, if you're considering it please do! No matter how small or big, it means a lot. They fuel the writing machine inside of me.

Time seemed to be at a stand still. A sense of tranquility washed over the room as Max stared purposelessly up in to the air. Dust motes floated aloofly in the sharp light streaming through the high arched windows, and the minutes dragged on slowly as the pair sat in silence. They seldom made any conversation after having settled in to the library, aside from brief inquiries regarding the schoolwork itself.

Max was almost certain that they were the only inhabitants, being such an enamoring day that it was, until she saw Alyssa passing by with a stack of books. It was a wonder she managed to retain any course material with all the extracurricular reading she did.

The peaceful trance broke as her phone buzzed loudly across the table. She shot Kate an apologetic look before taking a peek at the display.

**max cmonnn save me from my boredom plz**

Chloe again. She'd been at it all day. If Warren was the good side of her conscience that sat on one shoulder wanting her to study with him everyday, then Chloe was the devil on the other that always encouraged her to cut class with her and break loose.

The clicks of her virtual keyboard rang loud in the dreamy afternoon.

**Busy with school :c patience, padawan**

Dots paraded across a conversation bubble instantaneously.

**NO EMOJII! And im ur senior, fuck that padawan biz. stop being busy and take a break**

**Cant ._. next time ok?**

**I said no emojii! w/e if u don't wanna c me just tell me straight up**

More dots fired across her screen as Chloe started typing another reply before Max could even get one in. She sure could be impatient sometimes.

"Max."

Snapping her head up from her phone, her eyes met Kate's. She sat staring at her, pen left abandoned on the table.

Kate closed her eyes. She had this unsettling look of permanent fatigue ever since the weekend rolled by. A heavy sigh escaped her, and it was as if her whole body deflated, "If you have somewhere else to go, you can leave. I don't mind."

"What? No, Kate, I said I'd study with you. So here I am."

"You haven't even written down a single sentence, have you?"

Looking down at her page, she couldn't help the guilty flush that passed over her, betraying the truth of the matter.

Kate scoffed quietly in desbelief at Max's expression. It was delicately airy. Fragile, even. Almost like she was on the brink of breaking away from her own bones.

"I didn't think so."

_Great. Way to make an ass of yourself, Max._

_"_ I-I just have trouble focusing sometimes. Its not that I don't want to be here," She clenched her hands, folding them over her cell phone to muffle the buzz that continued to cry out for her attention.

"I appreciate that you're trying to be nice," Lifeless eyes looked to the table, and Max knew she saw see the beginning of tears, "But I don't want any more pity."

The bitterness that her words delivered cut in to Max with ease. What did pity have to do with anything? She didn't understand. Her only intention was to try and cheer her up after seeing her so down in class.

"Pity? I'm just trying to be your friend, Kate." She couldn't reel in the hurt that broke through, causing her voice to sound more antagonizing than she had intended.

Dealing with people proved to be way too confusing for her sometimes. It almost felt like it'd be easier to shrink away instead of even trying.

Anger shot back at her as Kate closed her books with a rough snap. "Give me a break, Max. I know you've seen the video. Everyone has."

The video in question had completely slipped her mind after the incident in the girl's washroom. Funny how her memory could be so spectacular in some regards and so laughable in others. The intention was replaced by other things that began to consume her mind. Watching a high school video link didn't seem so important after watching death at play.

Kate seemed to catch on to her puzzlement and began to re-iterate, "You… Have, haven't you?"

"I was going to," She admitted, promptly earning a frown, "But I never got around to it."

"I'm sure you will now that  _Victoria_  is your friend. Then you two can laugh over it together."

_What?_

"What?"

"I saw you two the other day… I don't blame you for wanting to make more popular friends instead of  _me_."

It was so unlike her to be so cold. Nothing about what Kate said reflected what Max had ever seen in her. It was as if her personality had warped and become bitter, lost in a sinkhole that Max was unsure if she could pull her out of.

"We're not… "

Were they friends? Max had to pause to rephrase herself though she couldn't discern why at that moment, "Victoria's not that bad."

" _How can you say that_? Victoria's the one who posted that video, Max." Her voice broke in to a sob this time, "And now everybody has seen it and thinks I'm a slut. Even my church saw it." Before she could even process a way to salvage the situation, Kate had already stood and gathered her things.

"I thought you were better than the Vortex club. I used to think you actually cared."

"Kate, I  _do_  care! I just don't understand. Please." Her words fell on deaf ears as Kate stormed off.

Should she follow her? Or would it just upset her further? Max slumped down in her chair, feeling drained from the interaction.

She didn't want Kate to be upset. She didn't want Kate to be upset  _with her_ , as selfish as that was. Her hand twitched instinctually at her side as a thought occurred.

_I could…_

What could the harm be in re-doing a conversation? It wasn't like she was saving a life this time, she was only changing a few words here and there. Perhaps it wouldn't be so taxing on her body. Watching Kate round the corner with her head down quickly helped her make up her mind.

_Might as well find out…_

The pain was a dull throb this time, almost unnoticeable. Nothing like the hungering hands that had pulled her mind in every direction until she could barely stand.

There was no concept of time in the warping of reality itself as Kate waddled backwards towards the table, settling back down in her seat. It flowed erratically as it dissociated from the present. Hours could have passed in the blur of space, and she wouldn't have known.

Keeping track of the conversation seemed to be the hardest part. As it flowed backwards in an unintelligible garble, trying to follow along proved to be fruitless, and the inner debate of when to stop caused her more grief than any pain that actually emerged.

"You… Have, haven't you?"

"No!" When she finally managed to speak, her voice came out too forcefully, and Kate looked startled.

"I mean… I couldn't bring myself to. Why would I want to watch and encourage bullying? I can't believe someone would post that online,"

She really couldn't. It hurt her to think about it. Could she have been completely wrong about giving Victoria a chance? Was she just stringing Max along in an elaborate prank and preparing for something akin to what Kate was experiencing? The thought didn't sit right with her.

"Nobody deserves that, Kate."

Tears welled up in her eyes, but a faint smile told of relief instead of the anguish she had been stricken with before.

"Thanks Max. Its nice to know  _somebody_  cares about these things."

A wave of guilt crashed over her as she smiled back. She was doing the right thing,  _wasn't she_?

"What happened…? If you don't mind me asking. You don't have to answer."

"I…I'm sorry, I can't…" Kate looked pained as she searched for an explanation, or perhaps an excuse.

"Nevermind, Kate. Let's just study for now, okay? But I'm here for you if you need me."

/

The air in the room felt stale and stank of sweat. No light entered, aside from the soft glow of his bedside lamp. To put things nicely, Nathan looked like hell. Though maybe that was even too much of a stretch.

He sat crumpled over on a mound of blankets on his bed like a throne. His hair was slick with grease and twisted in every direction, not unlike something you'd expect from a mad scientist. In the shadows she could just make out the swell of black that devoured his eyes, glaring against his pale skin. It made him appear rather ghoulish.

Soup sat on the table, left untouched. Steam no longer rose, as it had gone cold long ago. She had brought his favorite, hot and sour, ordered from the only Chinese joint in all of the bay area, run by a local couple that had immigrated over in their youth.

Few words were exchanged when she first arrived. To his request, they watched SpongeBob reruns for a couple of hours, though he never laughed. Everything about it was unsettling. He just stared mindlessly at the screen, fading in and out of sleep before inevitably jerking awake. She had the feeling he wasn't physically sick like he proclaimed, but something else entirely.

Her phone lit up and chimed in her lap.

**We need to talk. ASAP.**

That didn't sound promising. And from Caulfield, of all people? Odd.

"Who'sthat?" Nathan mumbled in a slur from across the room, attention still glued to the TV.

"Just Max. Probably something about the project, it's not important."

"Dumb hipster bitch…"

She almost wanted to defend Max, but pushed the notion away immediately. It was a stupid thought.

Static pealed as the show played on, ear-grating laughter and mindless babbling echoing in the dulled room as they shared in each other's silence. It felt cold. It felt nothing like the real Nathan she knew at all.

As the credits rolled, she decided she'd had enough of the worrying distance between them. She grabbed the remote, turning the display to black.

"Nate. I know you're not actually sick. Otherwise you'd be bossing me around like your own personal maid. What's up?"

It was a feeble attempt to make him laugh, break a smile even. And it never came. He continued to vacantly stare at the blank screen, where a ghost of his reflection stared back at him.

"I can't sleep."

His voice was hoarse, barely audible as it scratched its way from his throat, and she wondered if he even bothered to hydrate himself in the big mansion all alone. She pulled a bottle from her purse, tossing it on to his bed. He cracked the top open wordlessly, but didn't take a drink.

It was pretty normal for teenagers to complain about a lack of sleep. Victoria was guilty of it herself. But Nathan looked like he had literally gotten only a couple of hours over the course of the entire week.

"Why?"

He stirred in his pile, finally turning to face her, "Do you remember Rachel?"

A bolt of repressed anger coursed through Victoria at the drop of her name. She clenched her fists tight in her lap, trying hard not to be brash with her words.

"Of course," She said slowly, making sure her voice stayed even, "I could never forget… But what does she have to do with this?"

"She...I hear her," He whispered, his posture broken and small.

A chill shot up Victoria's spine, flaring to the rest of her body and shaking her to the core. He sounded insane, but his voice and expression betrayed no hints of lying. She knew him. She knew what he was saying was true to him, be it a delusion he was experiencing or something… more. Regardless of what it turned out to be, it haunted him, his eyes only reaffirming as much.

"What?" She released a breath she didn't know she was holding, "What do you mean?"

"I hear her. When I close my eyes… She, she talks to me, Vic," His voice waivered, and a sob shook his body, "She  _fucking talks to me_  and I can't make it stop!"

Tears dribbled down his chin and on to his lap as he curled in on himself, his shoulders bobbing up and down with his rasping cries. He didn't even attempt to hide it. He couldn't. He looked so devastated, and it tore her apart to watch him like this.

She was immediately at his side, pulling his body close for a crushing hug. His body sagged limply in her arms, and it took all she had to not cry with him. She was the last person who should be comforting someone.

"It's okay," She murmured over and over to him, stroking a hand through his disheveled hair, "It's gonna be okay."

She didn't know if it was. Maybe she was just lying again. But there were no other words she could find to say to him, she really just wanted him to be  _okay_. As much as they ragged on each other, berated each other, trod over each other, they were always there together in the end, side by side. They were family for each other when no other family was present. Even if they weren't the best family, it was better than no family at all.

But as Victoria held him and tried to soothe his tears, she couldn't even  _begin_  to understand his pain.

/

The door swung open, slamming in to the battered drywall of her dorm room. When she turned to look, she wasn't surprised in the least to see her blue haired friend eyeing her with a tart expression.

Max groaned, minimizing her tab before swiveling around in her chair, "I said come in a few hours, not as soon as possible."

" _Puh-lease_ ," She huffed, "You already blew me off for the past few days. Planning on not talking to me for another five years?"

_God, she is so not fair._

"Chloe you  _know_  that's not it. I just... needed a bit of time alone today."

After sharing a heartfelt moment with Kate, their study session didn't last much longer. The quiet blonde was still tired, after all, and wanted to go clean and rest up after letting herself cry. For Max to deny her request would be impossible. Those wide tear-stained eyes were too much for her to handle.

"What, so you could watch some weird orgy porn alone in your room? Lemme see that,"

Resistance was out of the question when Chloe was involved, just like when they were younger. She scooted close beside her, leaning over her computer desk and re-opening her browser window. Music began to blare from her speakers, accompanied by jarring laughter and slurred voices.

"Umm, what the fuck? This girls nuts. You're in to some hella weird shit, Max."

"No! That's… That's not…"

"Whoa. Wait, is this a  _Vortex_  party?"

It was painful to watch and hear an outsider's commentary, having already gone over it a few times on her own. Her curiosity couldn't be helped; she needed to know so she could understand what was going on with Kate. Max reached over and snatched back the mouse, pausing the video before she had to suffer through any more of it.

" _Dang_ ," Chloe let out a low whistle, "So you go to school with that girl? Think you could introduce us?"

" _Chloe_!" She punched her friend hard in the arm, though knowing her own strength it wasn't that hard at all.

Her friend gave her an exasperated pout, " _What_? She looks like a fun girl to party with."

Max could practically feel steam rising out from her ears, anger rumbling in the pit of her stomach. She knew it wasn't really Chloe's fault since she was out of the know, but it still sickened her.

"Chloe that's… That's my  _friend_. She's the type of girl who goes to church every Sunday and says grace before every meal. She would never do something like that, she looks completely out of her mind."

Chloe looked a bit unsettled listening to the serious tone that took over Max's voice. She furrowed her brow as she studied the still frame of the video.

"She's high as fuck. Are you sure that's who you think it is?"

"What?  _No way_. I know that's Kate, there's no mistaking it. She would never do drugs. She wasn't even gonna go to the party."

Narrowing her eyes, her friend plopped down on to the bed adjacent to her, arms folded in a pensive concentration.

The sudden level of urgency that rang in her words nearly startled Max, "Who was she with?"

"Um… I dunno. Some guy in our class, Bryce, from what I could assume. He's one of Nathan's friends."

Chloe hummed before falling silent. A thud resounded as she flopped down on her back, legs kicking out in the air. She took a long and resigned breath before speaking again.

"Max… Nathan is dangerous."

As much as she wanted to retort back in sarcasm, the muted shift in Chloe's mood kept her shut up. It was weird for her to be so serious, and so suddenly. There was something she needed to say, that much was obvious, but Max couldn't guess at what.

"I…" Her voice sounded so small. Like she was a kid again, scared at a sleepover after one of their scary movie marathons.

"Nathan drugged me, Max."

The room felt like it froze over, trapped in their own bubble separate from the rest of the world. She could hear her heart thudding in her chest through the subdued quiet that encased them. When Chloe spoke again her voice sounded hollow, and a weight felt like it pressed down on Max's chest.

"He… I… " Her eyes closed, and she took another deep breath to calm herself, "We were at a bar… He was trashed, and he offered me money and free drugs to come party with him… I really needed the cash so I…"

Gray eyes opened as she trailed off, and she looked to Max pleadingly, " _Please_  don't judge me."

"Chloe, I could never."

She nodded, balling her fists as she steeled herself, "I thought it'd be easy money, just lead him on a bit and let him pass out from drinking… I was  _so fucking stupid_. We went to his room and suddenly he wasn't as drunk as I thought, and  _I_  was the trashed one… I started spiraling and…"

Her voice started to crack, and her words faltered as she took some more calming breaths. An inner debate of whether to comfort her or not began to jostle in Max's mind. That was the the thing she was supposed to do in this type of situation, right? Even though they felt like best friends again, it felt equally weird to be in a role of consolation. She landed on the conclusion to hop of her chair and come to her side, giving her leg a reassuring squeeze. A weak attempt at a smile was shot back at her as she started to snivel.

"He spiked my drink, Max."

She curled on her side, hugging her arms tight across her body, as if she could hold herself together by physical means.

" _God_ , I was so fucked up. I don't remember  _anything_. I woke up on the floor with my hands tied, I was  _so fucking scared_."

"Chloe," Max swallowed, nervous of her own thoughts that followed, "Did he…?"

"Ugh, I don't… I don't even want to think about it. I don't think so. He seemed surprised when I woke up and tried to inject me with some kind of needle… I kicked over his table… I-I barely managed to get away." The tears that collected in her eyes began to spill over.

Max's stomach felt twisted in knots, anger roiling with the need to be sick. How many people were going to cry today because of those involved in the Vortex club? How could the school even allow such a vile group to exist?

_Holy fucking shit. That means he probably drugged Kate too._

She lay down by Chloe's side, circling her arms around her waist and pulling her in to a hug. Her friend turned around, burying her head in the front of Max's sweater and giving her a tight squeeze back. It felt so desperate, so hungry. She wondered when the last time anyone gave her a hug was.

_Nathan… You won't get away with this._

He was way scarier than she could have ever imagined. The fact that he had slipped under the radar in his deeds so far was even more terrifying. That he could even do such a thing was unforgivable. If something was going on at these parties, she needed to get to the bottom of it lest she wanted anyone else to get hurt.

_Who knows how many people could've been taken before them?_

They say there together for a while, hiccoughs rocking Chloe's body every now and then. A memory tugged free from the back of her mind of when Chloe used to do the same for her when they were kids. Whenever she had a bad day or an attack, her best friend always knew how to comfort her.

"Max?" Chloe's voice reverberated against her chest in a croak.

"Yeah?" She replied, running a hand through soft cerulean hair to tuck it under her beanie.

"Um… Something's been bugging me," She rubbed her nose against the front of her sweater and cleared her throat. Max opted not to say anything. Good thing it was laundry day soon.

"How did you know that Nathan had a gun that day?"

_Oh._

She tensed, her hand stilling in a mess of locks. Was there a point in lying to Chloe? It didn't feel right after her own big revelation. Max was a terrible liar anyways. But if Chloe could actually believe her was a whole other matter. She hadn't even wrapped her  _own_  mind around it, so it was hard to expect anyone else to.

"Chloe… There's something I need to tell you, too."

_If it goes wrong I can just rewind anyways, right?_

It was almost appalling how bitter that sounded in her head.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone messaged me about the title of my fic, so I figured I'd share. It's in reference to a song off of one of my favourite albums from my teenage years, In our bedroom after the war by Stars. I recommend y'all give it a go… it's really dreamy and there's some truly beautiful tracks to be discovered. (I can totally picture Victoria listening to it and crying >_>.)
> 
> Also my flights in two days so expect less activity from me for a little while. Cheers!

Max groaned, slapping a hand out in front of her wildly before she finally managed to land a hit on her phone. The alarm cut out abruptly, and the room was quiet once again. She stretched, yawning loudly and without a care to who could hear her through the thin walls. Her neck and back cracked sharply, and it was no wonder, considering she had fallen asleep slumped over her desk.

A grumble behind her stole her attention, and she turned around to find Chloe comically sprawled in what she thought resembled a beached octopus on her bed, passed out atop a pile of books. It was cute despite being an unruly tangle, and she couldn't resist the opportunity to take a picture as she reached for her camera. The mirrorless compact system was a lot quieter than her Polaroid, but she found herself missing the sheet of film that failed to appear after the shot.

Chloe flopped over at the sound of the shutter, tugging Max's comforter up and over her head in a feeble attempt to hide herself away from the morning light. Max couldn't help but laugh; she always was more of a night owl.

After she had finished trying to describe her time powers to her post ( _and maybe present?_ ) best friend, she had been surprised by the enthusiasm in which Chloe displayed towards the whole concept. It didn't seem to faze her in the slightest, but she did make Max perform a few "magic" tricks for proof. Max suspected that was just for the entertainment factor more than anything.

They had stayed up well in to the next day trying to uncover anything they could about the properties and possibility of time travel, but ultimately came up dry. The only thing they could uncover was a cryptic message board started by a man who had travelled from the year 2036, but could provide no proof of the matter, only stories of impending Armageddon. They were both extremely skeptical and decided it was best to only take it with a grain of salt, which left them back at square one.

"Rise and shine, punk princess." She yanked the duvet to the bottom of the bed, earning an exaggerated whine as Chloe buried her face in a pillow.

"Noooooooooo," She whimpered, "Give that back! And do  _not_  call me that."

"You know it's true. You're such a brat in the mornings."

Chloe flipped around to stick her tongue out, only proving her point further. It was funny how some things never changed.

_I don't care if you are, at least you're alive._

An epiphany struck her as soon as the thought was expressed aloud in her mind..

"Say, Chloe…"

"Hmm?" Came a delayed murmur from against a pillow.

"I was thinking… Why don't we just report Nathan for having a gun at school?"

Her friend snorted unceremoniously, pancaking herself face up on the bed. "What, and you think that would go over well? Yeah, sorry officer, he was threatening me 'cause I'm a big ol' drug dealer. And besides, his family practically owns this town and all the cops with it. Not to mention we have no proof."

"Sorry... I just thought…" Max trailed off, feeling rather stupid for even suggesting the notion.

It occurred to her that she could rewind and take it back, but a drumming against solid oak interrupted, causing them both to snap their heads to the door.

Chloe cast her back a glance with a quirked brow, "Expecting company?"

"Uh, no? Crap _,_  are you even allowed to be here?"

"Well, it's not like you brought a dude home or anything."

" _Chloe_ ," She groaned, "Seriously. What if it's someone from the school?"

Eyebrows waggled back at her, "And they specifically visit  _here_  to come and 'reprimand' you? Do tell."

"I can hear you in there, Maxine." Came a muffled but distinct voice from the other side.

_Shit. I totally forgot I texted her._

"Uh… Um… One second!"

After shooting her a glare, she threw the duvet back over Chloe, who happily shut up after initially flailing, and settled for turtling herself beneath it's warmth.

Max straightened herself as she placed a hand on the knob, taking a deep breath to root herself. The mechanism clicked, and she peered through the crack to find Victoria staring at her with arms folded in impatience.

"Uh... Morning."

Victoria pursed her lips as her eyes narrowed a fraction, scanning the room behind Max, "Who were you talking to?"

She shifted to better block the entryway with her body, "Oh, uh… um… Myself."

Victoria gave her the weirdest look just then. No doubt she was skeptical of her claim, or had skipped straight to questioning her sanity overall.

_Smooth. You should've said phone call, you dunce!_ She resisted hard the urge to slap her own face with an open palm.

"O…'kay then," She drew out her vowels for dramatic effect. Sometimes it felt like everything Victoria did publicly around the school was done for hidden reality TV show cameras.

"What's with the text? You said you wanted to talk ASAP? I replied when I got in last night but you never answered."

"I didn't mean now!" Her voice was too sharp. Another weird look was sent her way, "Th-that's because… Uh."

_Wait, shit. She went to see Nathan yesterday. Is she a part of all of this?_

"When I said ASAP, I really meant, uh, y'know…After… School... As…"

A stifled laugh suddenly trickled forth from the room, and Max's stomach dropped as Victoria cut a knowing glance behind her.

_Damn it, Chloe._

Next thing she knew, Victoria was shoving past her. She threw the blanket aside with one whip-like motion to find the blue haired fiend clutching at her sides, no longer bothering to restrain her laughter.

"What the fuck?"

Gray eyes winked back up at the blonde, "Morning,  _gorgeous_."

"Eugh!" She made a fake gagging sound, throwing the blanket back at her head, only causing the disgruntled punk to laugh even harder.

Max stood stunned in the doorway, without the faintest of clue as how to even begin dealing with the situation. She didn't know whether to laugh along or cry. Was a rewind in order?

"Is this some kind of  _joke_?"

"No!" "No, but it's hilarious anyways,"

Both Max and Chloe managed to spew at the same time.

Victoria's posture was weirdly stiff, and Max wasn't certain if she was uncomfortable with the situation or something else. Her fists were clenched at her sides, and her scowl only piqued more curiosity.

"It's, uh," She mumbled, stumbling for an explanation, though why she did such was beyond her, "It's not what it looks-"

" _Whatever_ , I don't want to know. I'll see you after class if you  _actually_  have anything important to say."

"B-But-"

Victoria turned sharply and left, slamming the door behind her before she could find any words. Max couldn't help herself from grabbing a pillow and throwing it at her friend.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Seriously, Chloe?" She grumbled, "Why did you have to go and do that?"

A mocking snort answered back, "Why not? As if you were handling it any better. You could hardly even form a sentence."

Max groaned, crumpling to the floor against the bedframe and burying her face in her hands.

The mattress shifted behind her and she could suddenly feel a presence at her side. Peeking out between her fingers, Chloe was looking back at her upside down, dangling off of the bed.

"Why'd  _Victoria_  come by anyway? Making friends with the enemy?" Repulsion was laced in her words, but Max couldn't blame her after what she had experienced.

"Huh? How do  _you_  know Victoria?"

"Parties,  _duh_ , plus dealing with Nathan. Hah! Oh! And Rachel used to always tell me about-"

The excitement in her words was cut short. Eyes widened in shock, and suddenly Chloe retracted herself from the ledge, pulling her body back up on top of the bed and promptly hugging her knees to her chest. A beat passed with no explanation. She sat quietly, tugging at a bracelet hanging loosely on her wrist.

_Rachel? That name sounds familiar..._

Max pushed herself off of the floor, closing the short distance between her and the desk. She rifled through some of the mess and discarded books from their late night study session, pulling out a flyer she had meant to look in to a few weeks prior.

The bed sagged with her weight as she sat down beside Chloe, holding the flyer out in front of her to study, "You mean…  _Rachel Amber_? You knew her?"

Chloe laughed bitterly, taking the flyer from her hands and tracing a finger around Rachel's face in the photograph. A dull ache echoed through Max's chest. She couldn't help but feel a shared pain watching her friend look so forlorn.

"Yeah," She sighed, "I guess you could say that."

/

English lecture was lackluster as always. She would've skipped it if it weren't for the fact that she had nothing else to do. All her notes sat neatly in front of her, having already been completed long before. Pink, purple and blue all alternated for each type of header and sub note, and her yellow highlights looking jarringly out of place. She took a mental note to buy new pens before pulling out her phone.

**Not at school again?**

Three minutes passed by. She stared impatiently at the clock at the front of the class, counting the seconds as they ticked away.

**Why would i? U want me 2 flip shit on every1?**

**You still can't sleep?**

More minutes passed. She hated waiting on responses; it always filled her with a sense of dread. One would think conversing with people would be easier over a screen, but she always found it easier to gauge how to react in person.

**no shit cuz I cant fuckin score**

_Score? So he means…_

That explained all the extra 'party supplies' he was always picking up that never made an appearance. She wondered then how long it had been going on for. Had Nathan always self-medicated before? His unstable behavior lately suddenly made a bit more sense.

_Huh._

**Isn't that price girl your dealer? I saw her on campus today, I could pick up for you?**

She hated that she offered, but at this point, she would do anything to see Nathan be himself again. She could happily go her whole life without having to interact with that trashy sleaze. It made her even more irritated knowing she was a friend, or more, with Max.

_Talk about low standards on her part_.

Maybe that was why she bothered with Victoria.

**dumb bitch cheated money off her supplier n cant get me shit anyways**

_Well, she sure knows how to pick her friends._

After that revelation, she even considered herself of all people better company for the absent-minded brunette than the shady girl she was  _apparently_  sleeping with. She couldn't help but draw those conclusions. Her jaw clenched with every added thought. Was Max actually…  _gay_? And for a pig-headed drug dealer? Of course, being the hipster she was, it made sense that she had horrible taste. Victoria mentally groaned at the notion.

_I'm way hotter than her._

Her molars pressed harder against each other. She always did that when she was stressed. She knew it was bad for her dental health, but could never shake the tension and stop herself. Though this time an uncomfortable energy accompanied it, welling up through her chest like a balloon pressing on her ribcage.

_Why the fuck do I even care?_

Her phone buzzed again, thankfully distracting her from her thoughts.

**i still got lotsa other stuff tho, lets throw a rager and get fucked up 2nite.**

She chewed at her lip in deliberation. It wasn't like she had anything else to do this weekend aside from work on her photography project, and there was plenty of time for that. It wasn't like she felt particularly eager to work on it with her partner at the moment anyways. It  _had_  been awhile since she'd really let loose. As much as she didn't really want to go last weekend, this time it felt like a much-needed release.

**Plz vic? i need something to take my mind off things n just have fun**

**Okay but you are NOT wearing your letterman**

Another chat notification appeared at the top of her screen as she mulled over what she was going to wear. Of course it was none other than Caulfield.

**Hey sorry about my friend Chloe :Z we're out having breakfast then I'm coming back after. I wanna talk, for cereal this time. Will u be free? :x**

She couldn't believe she was using emojiis. As if Max wasn't already dorky enough. As she read the text over again, her molars resumed in their clenching.

_Ugh. Chloe._

**Whatever idc I'll see you when I see you**

A thought occurred to her then. Maybe there was a way for Nathan to get his fix after all.

/

"I don't get why you even want to bother talking to her," Chloe scoffed as she slid in to the booth, " _So what_  if she's involved? We should keep it on the down low. Y'know, as to not arouse any suspicion?"

Max scooped up a menu as she settled in the seat across from her, picking at the frayed tape on the edges. The menus were exactly the same as they used to be, down to the spelling mistake on the "orange pekeo". All except for the price hike, of course.

"I… I dunno Chloe. It doesn't sit right with me."

"So you're gonna go with your  _gut feeling_  instead of running from the chance at being drugged up against your will? Brilliant."

Skipping her wake-n-bake sessions sure seemed to add an extra layer of snark.

"Okay, just like you're going to go with  _your_  gut feeling that Rachel didn't just run away?" Max retorted, feeling way too over behavior that even she didn't understand, "I mean, Arcadia Bay isn't exactly the best place to be."

Chloe shot daggers at her. A scowl cut thick across her face as she kicked her boots up on the table with a thud, causing the cutlery to clatter as they fell loose from their napkins.

"You don't know  _shit_  about Rachel," She all but spat, "She would never leave me like that.  _And_  she would keep in touch, unlike some people."

Before Max could open her mouth, Joyce glided on over to their booth, swatting off Chloe's feet with a look of disdain, "Chloe, what did I tell you about doing that? One of these days I'm gonna make you clean every single one of these, down to scraping the gum off of the undersides."

She rolled her eyes, "As if. You'd never let me work here, you always complain that I'd scare away all your customers."

"Well, you don't exactly have that family friendly attitude that my diner represents."

Chloe huffed, turning to face out the window and giving her mother the classic cold shoulder.

Max tried hard not to laugh. It wasn't every day you got to see your friend get justifiably ripped on by their parent. She would later upon reflecting feel thankful that Joyce came by when she did, effectively stealing away the negative attention that was focused on her.

Joyce leaned over to pour Chloe a coffee before nodding in her direction, "And you'd like an English breakfast, soy, no sugar?"

" _Soy_  good of you to remember, I'm flattered."

Chloe audibly groaned, slapping a hand against the table as she threw herself dramatically against the back of the booth, "Emojiis, puns, what's next? I'm in friendship hell."

Max couldn't help but smile. As prickly as her friend managed to be around the edges, she didn't know if she could have her any other way. Her spunk always did have its moments of amusement.

_It just wouldn't be…. Chloe._

Joyce laughed, shaking her head at her daughter. Despite their bickering, there was a certain glint in her eye that made her look particularly happy. Max could tell it meant a lot to her that she was back around for Chloe. It made her wonder who she normally hung out with after Rachel had supposedly vanished.

"And what'll your order be? That's one thing you could  _never_  decide on."

"Oh, uh,"

_Would it be wrong to rewind after eating one meal to eat another one? God I love Joyce's cooking. How would that work? Would I technically be vomiting the one I ate…?_

_Ew. On second thought._

"Apple-sausage omelette, please,"

"Usual for me. Extra bacon, no skimping out."

"Unless you finally pay off your tab, that's one slice for you." Joyce chided as she made her way back to the kitchen.

Chloe flushed under her mother's glower. Max should've known when she said breakfast was her treat, that it would really be Joyce's.

"Anyways," She muttered in to her coffee before taking a sip, "Aside from no leads on your time bending, what about Kate?"

Max scratched at the skin around the edges of her splint as she sagged in defeat. She couldn't wait to take it off. It was itching like crazy.

"Nothing really … I mean, I hardly even know how to text her about it, forget trying to pull information."

Before she could discern the meaning behind Chloe's devious grin, she leapt over and swiped Max's phone from in front of her.

"Chloe! No!"

Max reached with her body across the table, barely missing the coffee, but her friend's gangly limbs held the phone too high for her reach.

"Chloe  _yes_!" She guffawed, squirming in her seat to avoid Max's grasping hands.

"Seriously! Kate's… She's… You could make her really upset!"

A new mug clicked down on the marbled white tabletop, and Joyce struck a hand out and caught Chloe by the wrist with a strong grip. The two of them exchanged stares wordlessly. After a moment, Joyce loosened her grip, and Chloe handed the phone back over with a startlingly docile grace.

"Food will be by in ten, drink up hun."

Joyce was her own personal super-hero this morning. With her new time powers popping up, it wouldn't surprise her if Joyce had some kind of mind control. Though that was probably something all mothers had to an extent.

A resigned sigh escaped Chloe as she settled back in to her seat with a pout. She could be such a brat. "Okay. So nothing from Kate at all?"

"Well… She's obviously really bothered by the whole thing. And the video. She hardly comes to class anymore and I hear crying whenever I pass by her room…" She decided to leave out the part where Kate's room was nowhere near hers. As if people didn't think she was snoopy enough already. Withholding unnecessary details never hurt anyone.

"So we know she was probably drugged, and we can link her to Nathan too. Which leads to the question," Chloe rubbed at her chin as she propped her head up, "Did anything else happen?"

Max drummed her fingers against the sides of her hot beverage, staring in to its cloudy depths as if it could provide her answers through some means of mysticism, "She seems to avoid the subject when I ask, it's almost like she's scared of something… and ashamed maybe?"

"Hmm," Chloe slurped at her coffee loudly, accidentally spilling some, "I don't like this. Some rich prick going around drugging up girls, doing who knows what, and getting away with it? Not on my watch."

"Well you already ruled out the police. We're hardly even adults, what do you expect us to do? This is way beyond us."

"Max, come on. Who knows how many girls he's done this too that we haven't heard about. Are you gonna let that slide? What if you're next?"

She chewed on the skin around her nails. The whole situation felt rather overwhelming, but she knew deep down that Chloe was right.

She continued on in Max's silence, "You have freakin'  _time powers_!  _And_  a badass sidekick. We can be real life heroes, just like we pretended when we were kids!"

Max raised her hands in mock defeat with a soft smile, "Okay, okay, you got me sold. But what the heck are we supposed to do?"

"Well. It's the weekend again. So there's no doubt gonna be some sort of party," Chloe had that no-good grin of hers plastered across her face again. Max could tell already she wasn't going to like where she was going with this.

"We just need you to infiltrate it."

_Yup. We're doomed._

/

A hand hooked through her elbow, yanking her out from the rush in the hallway and nearly causing her to trip.

"Who the fuck!?"

She was just about ready to throw down, until she saw those  _stupid_ , insufferably deep blue doe-eyes staring up at her with a look of determination.

"What the hell, Maxine?" She managed to sputter, with less irritancy than she had hoped for.

The shorter brunette quickly poked her head out to scan the hallway before continuing to tug on her arm towards the exit. She appeared to be a bit more off than usual; urgency never did seem to be her thing.

"Look," She said sternly, "We need to talk."

Victoria rolled her eyes as she exhaled in annoyance. She was starting to find herself less and less surprised by Max's oddities, which probably wasn't a good thing.

"Now? Can't it  _wait_? I'm going to class."

"It's…important."

Max chewed on her lip nervously. Her eyes were cast to the floor as she fidgeted with her hands, and Victoria couldn't help but instinctually stifle her temper. Ironically though, it caused even more infuriation to flare up in the back of her mind.

"What, and it wasn't important  _earlier_  when I actually had time?"

"I-I was caught off guard, I mean…" Max groaned, combing a hand through her messy hair, "Ugh, I'm sorry okay? I mean it when I say it's important.  _Please_?"

The pleading tone caused something in Victoria's gut to twitch, and with the way Max was looking at her, it was inevitable that she would give in.

" _Okay_ ,  _fine_ , but you better explain."

Max gave her a half-smile out of relief, but she could tell there was still some hesitation behind it. The brunette continued to tug her out towards the exit, quickly checking over her shoulder before they made their way outside. She appeared to be a lot stiffer than her usual goofy aloofness. It took a moment for it to sink in that she was on edge about something.

_Is Max… afraid of me?_

The pair continued on into the empty courtyard, far from any lingering eyes in the classroom buildings. A sense of uneasiness washed over her as they stopped in a small opening by the parking lot.

Max's shoulders dropped a little after she took another look around, but suddenly tensed again as her voice snapped out of her unevenly, "Victoria… What was that video about?"

" _What_?" She found herself caught off guard by Max's challenging stare. She didn't look like she was having any of it though.

"That video you posted with Kate," Max's resolve cracked as emotion seeped in to her voice, "I… I can't believe you would do that."

She sounded hurt, and suddenly refused to look her in the eye. It made Victoria's chest squeeze in discomfort. It made her feel like the worst kind of _scum_. But she wasn't just going to take that in stride.

"It was…" Victoria started to stammer. She couldn't believe she even allowed herself to be in this situation so shortsightedly. How could she allow herself to have such a lack of control? She should've planned better for something like this. She  _knew_  Kate and Max were friends.

"It was just a joke, okay? We were drunk," Her voice rose as she cranked high on the defensive, "It's not a big deal."

Max threw her hands up wildly in exasperation, "Not a big deal? Victoria, of course it's a big fucking deal! Kate hardly even leaves her room anymore. That was  _cruel_."

She could feel her eyes narrow.  _Cruel_. Of course. She was just some stuck-up heartless bitch. Her hands clenched and shook in tight little fists at her side.

"And why is that my problem? She brought it on herself! I didn't ask her to get wasted and slut around," She was bristling with anger now. She didn't even know where it was all coming from.

She wanted to stop, to walk away, but she rattled on, "And you know what,  _Maxine_? Maybe I  _am_  cruel. So why don't you go  _cry it out_  with Kate or run off to someone who actually gives a shit like your drug-dealer  _girlfriend_?"

_What the fuck is wrong with me?_

Victoria felt a wave of shame crash over her. She hated that she let herself be so consumed by her pride, but she couldn't back down now, lest her ego take a massive hit. She stood her ground firmly, towering over the brunette.

Max looked torn. She reached out with a hand, and Victoria flinched, expecting to be struck, but her hand stilled then fell to her side.

" _You_  give a shit, Victoria,"

_Stop sounding so fucking upset._

"I  _know_  you do,"

_No I fucking don't._

"And I don't get why you'd ever be involved in drugging Kate."

_Of course I-_

"Kate was drugged?" Her hands unclenched and her jaw hung ajar as she stared dumbly at Max. It all made sense now. The way Kate was acting in that video, the blown eyes…  _Kate_ , of all people, prided herself too much on her sobriety and devotion. She would never do that on her own accord. How could she have let that slip by? How could she forget to ask  _Nathan_?

A chill crept up her spine at the thought of his name. How  _couldn't_  she forget. But how could even think of something like that when he was so broken?

A small voice pulled her back out of herself, "So… You  _weren't_  a part of it then, were you?"

Her eyes refocused on Max, who looked way too relieved for someone who was talking about drugging girls. Not to mention she had just gotten yelled at.

Victoria folded her arms across her chest with a humph, "Hell no."

"Do you know any-"

"Jesus, Max! No. The Vortex Club does some pretty fucked up things, but we'd never do that. It wasn't us, I swear."

Max had on that weird puzzled looking face that she was becoming famous for. Her freckled nose crinkled slightly as her eyebrows drew together in concentration, and her eyes spaced out on the horizon.

"Victoria. Chloe supplies the drugs. Nathans the one buying them."

_Chloe_.  _Not her again._ She was sick of that name already.

She opened up her purse and began to rifle through it, not failing to notice that Max tensed up again.

"Relax," She scoffed, throwing a small envelope at her, "It's not like I have a gun or anything."

Max flailed, nearly dropping the envelope in a fumble as it came her way.

She eyed it skeptically, hefting it in her hands to check its weight, "What is this..?"

"Nathan doesn't drug people," She swallowed, steeling herself against the haunting images of him that were still so fresh in her mind, "Nathan needs those for  _himself_."

It didn't phase her at the time that'd she'd been so bluntly honest with Max. But it did feel really good to get that off her chest, and to prove her  _and Chloe_ wrong.

Max looked baffled. " _What_?"

"Five hundred cash. Pay off whoever and get it to him as soon as you can."

"But-"

" _No_ ," She cut in sharply, raising a hand to dismiss any more retorts that Max could offer, "I'm done with you today. Thanks for assuming I was a horrible fucking person."

She felt drained. Tired of the day, tired of Max, and tired of  _herself_. Turning on her heel, she stormed off back towards the school.

"Victoria," Max called after her, but she kept on walking.

_Tonight better be fucking good._

/

_That could've gone so, so much better… Damn it, Max. Way to fuck up._

Max sidled up in to the passenger seat after clearing off the discarded fast food packaging, and tossed the envelope over on to Chloe's lap.

"What's this?" She inquired, shaking it around as if the answer would answer back to her like pieces of Lego clacking against one another.

Max simply sat in silence, staring at the dashboard as she brooded over her latest failure. She was kicking herself for not using her time powers. She was so tempted, but there was something stopping her.

Chloe frowned as she studied her friend; "You never made the signal, so it must've went well. But then why so glum, chum?"

Why was she so glum? She groaned, dropping her face in to her hands before mumbling against them, "Victoria hates me."

An unsympathetic snort followed suit, "News flash. Victoria hates everyone. So, is she a part of it?"

" _No_ , Chloe!" She snapped back, immediately regretting it. She knew she was just trying to lighten the mood. But it was hard to see anything light about the matter.

Eyebrows rose back at her, " _Okay then_ , so what's the big deal?"

"I don't… Whatever, let's just forget it."

_I need to make this right._

"Okay, jeez," Chloe couldn't help but laugh a little, "And you think  _I'm_  childish."

"Yeah, well. This 'child' just got you five hundred dollars to pay off your debt."

Her expression after that was, one could say,  _Price_ less.

Chloe's words spoke of disbelief, but her voice betrayed otherwise, "You're shitting me."

"No." Max almost smirked. If it were any other circumstances, she would have.

In record time, Chloe tore in to the packaging; only to have crisp green bills slide out and spill all over the floor of her truck.

"Holy shit. You's a boss, Max!" She threw the remainder of the wad into the ever-increasing mess that surrounded them so she could lunge over and scoop Max up in a tight squeeze.

"Up for a road trip to go see Frank?"

Max looked back towards the school. That was the last place she wanted to be at this moment.

As Chloe released her, she sighed, squishing her cheek to the cold window as she flopped against the door gracelessly, "Why not?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Drug usage
> 
> I’ve tried to write this as tastefully and realistically as possible without a strong bias. I have no intention of romanticizing drugs and encouraging use, but nor am I demonizing them. That’s all up to your own opinion. I just ask that everyone is responsible. Any views in this fic you can take with a grain of salt, and don’t necessarily reflect my own.
> 
>  
> 
> Regarding updates, they’re going to be less than once a week now, probably once a fortnight, as some of you may have noticed. I’m now living in Australia and start a new full time job on Friday so I’m gonna have a lot less time to write. (This chapter alone took forever… 1/3 was written at home, 1/3 in airports, and 1/3 watching beautiful sunsets near the beach..)
> 
> ALSO for some reason I can't upload this chapter on FFnet, I've been trying for the past few days so I might be stuck to AO3 now.. Cheers

 

**CHAPTER 13**

Max was really starting to question her decisions as of late. It was dawn, and the sky was just on the cusp of fading from the pale hues of orange and violet to the infinite darkness that lingered above.

 

The old cracked bulbs in the streetlights looming around them flickered, not unlike in a bad slasher flick. An uneasy feeling settled in to her gut as Chloe opened her door and assaulted them with the brisk evening chill.

 

“You coming?” She said, around a cigarette that hung limp off of her lip.

 

Something off in the bushes on the other side of the parking lot caught Max’s attention. She didn’t know if she felt safer alone in the truck or out there exposed, but at least she’d be with her spunky companion.

 

She nodded, quickly making up her mind for once, “Yeah.”

 

It was good to stick by Chloe in case her time powers were needed, or so she convinced herself.

 

A door creaked open as they approached the muck-ridden RV, and a high pitched whine could be heard from within as a tall scruffy looking man dressed all in black stepped out in to the light.

 

His burnt gold mane was shaggy and unkempt, and a thick bristle grew over the lines of his scowl. His nose was zigzagged in both directions, having been broken more times than she could probably guess. The beginning of a tattoo crept up from his chest and sprawled over the side of his neck, and Max found herself cringing at the thought of repeatedly getting needles stabbed in those sensitive areas of flesh.

 

A gruff voice greeted them, “Miss Price.”

 

Chloe snorted, and Max could feel herself stiffen beside her, “What’s with the formalities Frank-o?”

 

“I am a businessman, after all,” His gaze slung over, lingering on Max, “ _And_ you’ve brought a guest.”

 

_I should’ve just gone back to class._

 

“Umm,”

 

“She’s cool man. Max goes to Blackwell actually,” Chloe elbowed her in the ribs, offering what she assumed was a reassuring grin.

 

“Uh, hi.” She extended a hand. Were you even supposed to shake hands for these kinds of situations?

 

Frank smirked as her hand hung empty in the air before him. Apparently not. But after a moment he took it anyways, probably just to humor her, and his grip lingered longer than necessary.

 

She felt gross after, like she needed to find the nearest bathroom and scrub her hands for an hour.

 

“She doesn’t seem your type.”

 

_What is that supposed to mean?_

 

Chloe mulled it over a moment before shrugging. “She’s my old friend from childhood. Plenty of time to corrupt her still. “

 

A coarse laugh hacked out of him. It sounded like he chain-smoked two packs a day _minimum_. His demeanor quickly changed though under Max’s blatant scrutiny.

 

“Alright enough cutesy shit. You said you have my money?”

 

The envelope whirred across the short distance, bouncing off of his chest. He still managed to catch it, but looked rather unamused. Chloe certainly had some nerve messing with someone of his status, and Max couldn’t help but swallow in apprehension.

 

He grunted as he opened it up, rolling up his sleeves to reveal his massive forearms before passing the bills from one hand to the other as he counted. His eyes narrowed as he neared the end of the pile.

 

“How’d you manage that? You best not be sellin’ for anyone else behind my back.”

 

Chloe gaze was transfixed on his wrist. Max followed her eyes, finding a colorful looking woven bracelet, similar to Chloe’s own. It was definitely a curious fashion choice, but she couldn’t discern any further meaning behind it.

 

“Tch, I wouldn’t dream of it. You’re an ass, but you pay decent. Not to mention you’d kill me otherwise.” She scuffed her shoe against the ground as she tore away her stare, “Regardless of what I did, you got your money. Isn’t that good enough?”

 

He hummed, taking a moment to stuff the envelope inside of his jacket, “As long as it doesn’t happen again.”

 

Well that was definitely a hidden threat if she’d ever heard one. She found his voice awfully unsettling, and scooted closer to Chloe’s side.

 

“So are you here for another pick-up, now that that’s settled?”

 

“Yes please. I’m hella broke, gimme all ya got!” Chloe nearly shouted, clearly way too excited over the prospect of more cash that she could actually keep.

 

Frank barked back at her with a scolding glare, “Not my problem you don’t know how to hold on to money. You’re getting the regular package, nothing more.”

 

Chloe looked like she was about to protest, but held it back. As much as she was loose with her attitude around Frank, she still had to hold him with high respect.

 

As he disappeared back in to the RV, Max couldn’t help but scratch at her curiosity.

 

“What’s with the bracelet?” She whispered.

 

Chloe quickly glanced to the door again before responding in a very serious tone, “That’s Rachel’s bracelet.”

 

“ _What_? But why would Frank have it?”

 

Chloe’s brow creased together. “Well, we all used to hang out, but I dunno. The last time I saw her she was wearing it...”

 

“Maybe she’s just staying with him?”

 

She looked repulsed by the thought, “No way. There’s just no way. She wouldn’t just cut out contact with me if she was here of all places. Unless it was against her will.”

 

Max continued to look skeptical, and she could immediately tell Chloe was unhappy about it. She figured she was about to get a verbal lashing, but then Frank opened the door and stepped out holding a grocery bag containing cereal boxes.

 

_Cereal? For cereal?_

 

“Is there a problem?” He huffed, looking between the two.

 

Chloe took a step towards him, arms folded tight against her chest, “ _Yes_ , actually. I was wondering why the fuck you have Rachel’s bracelet.”

 

He swayed backwards, clearly not expecting the stark answer from her. It only took a moment for him to recompose himself and take on a broad stance.

 

“Why the fuck _wouldn’t I_?

 

“Because it’s hers.”

 

“So? She gave it to me. You jealous, you little dyke?” He spat his last word, and Chloe reared at Max’s side.

 

A snarl fizzled out of her, and Max had to keep a hard grip on her arm in warning, “Fuck you, Frank! Rachel wouldn’t do that. Give it back!”

 

The cereal boxes were thrown to the ground in front of them, and a sharp click followed. A knife was suddenly pointed at the pair, glinting brightly in the streetlight’s glow.

 

“Take what you came for and _fuck. Off_. I don’t have time for your petty drama shit. I know you miss Rachel, but I fucking miss her too.”

 

As menacing as he was, he looked genuinely pained. Max tugged hard on Chloe’s arm, “C’mon. Let’s just go.”

 

She was fuming at her side, but it was clear they were in no position for negotiation. She leaned down to gather up the boxes, which definitely were _not_ full of cereal. Without another word, she turned on her heel, dragging Max along with her.

 

Frank was still standing outside of his RV watching them as they jumped in to the truck.

 

It wasn’t until the doors were shut that he turned his back, and that Max allowed herself to speak, “Oh my dog, Chloe, are you _insane_?”

 

“ _Shut up_. Would you prefer I continued? ‘Cause maybe I’ll make you put your powers to some actual use,” She reached for the door handle, but Max yanked her back roughly.

 

“No,” She said firmly, “We’re not doing anything reckless that we don’t have to. Drop it, and let’s go.”

 

Chloe sneered, proceeding to start the engine and take them out of the shady parking lot. She cranked the volume on her stereo, and a storm of static thrashed at them, accompanied by the bellows of what sounded like an angry Viking god.

 

She was speeding recklessly, but Max refrained from any comment. Chloe just needed to blow off some steam sometimes.

 

It wasn’t until probably half an hour later that she spoke again, “There’s a party tonight.”

 

“What? How do you know?”

 

“I have tons of hits blowing up my phone asking for party goods. Not to mention it’s a fucking Friday night, genius.”

 

_Eloquent as ever._

_“_ And _you_ are going to do a delivery for me.” She added as an afterthought, suddenly smiling again.

 

Max jolted in her seat, swerving to stare wide-eyed at her friend.

 

‘I am _not_ getting any more involved in your drug business.”

But of course, as it would turn out, she did.

 

/

 

Taylor’s hair smelled really nice.

 

She was slumped against her friend as her and Courtney continued to do each other’s makeup, chattering on about whose face they would probably end up sucking later. Victoria wasn’t really invested in the conversation, nodding in and out at random intervals as she did some binge shopping on her phone to distract her thoughts whilst sipping away at her beverage. Though perhaps chugging would’ve been a better word.

 

Her conversation with Max earlier still sat fresh in her mind. A part of her had wanted to turn around when she called out her name, but her anger had managed to consume everything else. She couldn’t fathom why she was making such a big deal out of it anyways. What did _her_ opinion matter? It wasn’t as if she actually expected to make friends with Max. So then why did her words sting so much?

 

She clicked on the checkout button, successfully burning another couple hundred dollars away.

 

The party would already be in full swing by now, but of course the Vortex members always made a show of being late. Instead of joining the crowd they sat in Courtney’s room, pre-drinking well past the point of being tipsy and arming themselves to the teeth in their designer apparel. When they entered the gymnasium, bombs would go off. Nobody would miss it.  

 

“Hellooo? Vicky?” Courtney’s voice grated loudly against her eardrums.

 

She blanched inwardly. She would never acquire a taste for that nickname.

 

“ _What_?”

 

“You’re like, totally spacing out. I asked if you had your eye on anybody tonight,” She smirked, quickly adding in a very matter-of-fact tone, “I think Max has been rubbing off on you.”

 

The teenage mind was a curious device. You get seen hanging out with someone below you a couple of times and suddenly you’re absorbing loser-dom through osmosis. It was infuriating how fast rumors of petty things spread throughout the school like a wildfire. Though she of all people should’ve known that, having been famous for starting them. But it was seldom she was on the receiving end for anything except for her queen-bee reputation and icy conduct.

 

“Shut up, Courtney. Just because I don’t give a shit about trivial matters such as the selection of repulsive males at Blackwell doesn’t mean I’m _anything_ like that geek.”

 

“Ooh, _me-ow_ ,” Taylor growled, clawing out with a hand and brandishing her long plastic coated pink nails, “Looks like we’re having the feisty version of drunk Victoria tonight. My personal favorite.”

 

Courtney puffed like a disgruntled bird while folding her arms over her chest, “I’m just _saying_. You’ve been mad flaky lately, Vicky.  You attended zero parties this summer, and skipped the last one for a _sleepover_ with Maximum Dork. Not to mention _I’ve_ been picking up all your slack when you skip club meetings.”

_God, this is such bullshit._

Was Courtney really threatening some kind of melodramatic power play over her? As if high school didn’t already contain enough unnecessary drama. No wonder why she always went out of her way to be seen at her side and groveled at her feet; she would do anything to climb the social ladder.

 

_Too bad the ladder ends on a cliff for one._

 

“ _First of all_ , it was not a fucking sleepover, _and Taylor,”_ She ripped her body away, causing the other blonde to sway from the loss of her supporting weight, “I told you that in confidence,”

 

The door burst open just then, before Victoria could _really_ bare her claws.

 

“Ladiessss.”

 

Nathan staggered in with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, donning a grin that would rival a hungry shark’s; too wide and too much teeth. An opened mickey hung loose in one hand, and he took a swig upon inspecting the tense group before him, offering them the bottle after.

 

Surprisingly, he didn’t look as haggard as he did when she saw him last. He was properly dressed in fitted jeans and a blazer with a V-neck, and his hair was neatly gelled rather than a ragged mop of grease-laden spaghetti. A bit of color looked like it had made it’s way back to his face, but then again, there were “beer goggles” to account for. It suddenly made sense why he’d only show up to hang out for a party. Nobody would notice his state of disarray when they were all out of it themselves.

 

Courtney promptly grabbed the bottle and took a large swallow, “Ooh Nate, good to see you! I’ve _really_ missed having you around. You always have the best treats.”

 

Her eyes felt the strong urge to roll all the way into the back of her head, but she somehow managed to keep poised. Nathan didn’t look too amused either, which she was grateful for. Just the prospect of those two hanging off of each other made her feel ill.

“Fuck yeah I do,” He punched a fist to his chest proudly, “Are you girls ready yet? I wanna get my rage on.”

 

Victoria shrugged, having gotten dressed and ready hours ago in her own room. She had opted for a _very_ low cut white blouse with a sleek black high-waisted skirt, completed with gaudy golden bangles, a necklace, and shimmery heels to match. Nobody could egg her on about being a nun in that kind of attire, and some part of her _needed_ to look exceptional tonight.

 

“Welllll,” Taylor drawled, placing a finger to her chin as if she was in expansive thought, “I’d be more ready if we had a little _pick-me-up_.”

 

Another visceral grin was flashed, and Victoria found herself shying away from Nathan’s presence. In hindsight, maybe getting exceptionally fucked up was _not_ what he needed. The thought didn’t manage to inhibit any of her own intentions though.

 

He threw the bag to the floor and knelt, rummaging through its veiled contents. Soon after, an array of colorful tabs in freshly pressed shiny plastic baggies sat in his palms as he displayed them to the group.

 

“Red pill or blue pill?”

 

Victoria swiped at his selection with eager paws, adopting a rather Cheshire smirk.

 

“Red pill, of course.”

 

/

 

Max couldn’t stop staring at herself in the bathroom mirror. She couldn’t believe she was letting Chloe rope her in to this, and yet there she was, dressed and ready to party after having been convinced her normal wouldn’t cut it.

 

Rachel’s shirts hung off of her too loose in the bust and the tattered jeans were a little too tight in the rear, yet they still managed to envelope her in a strange sense of empowerment. She stuck her tongue out at her reflection and made a rude gesture. No, not just empowered. She felt _punk rock_ and looked like a total boss.

 

She found herself smiling despite the predicament. Go to the Vortex VIP lounge and make a delivery, then hang around to spy on any misconduct. Easy, right?

 

“Max Factor, stop checking yourself out and let’s get going pretty quick here, yeah?”

 

She bumped in to the cabinet as Chloe’s voice rang in next to her from the entryway. She was leaning against the doorframe with a look of pure amusement.

 

“I.. I wasn’t checking myself out.”

 

“Sure, sure. Whatever, it suits you. With looks like that you should totally come thrash with me the next time a band comes by.”

 

Max laughed at the mental image that arose of her at a rock concert flailing around like an animal. She struck an exaggerated pose and made a face at Chloe, “Ready for the mosh pit, shaka brah.”

 

Chloe groaned in disgust, throwing her sandwich wrapper at Max’s head, “Oh god, I take it back. I’m leaving you behind in a knitting circle at some retirement home.”

 

“You’re just afraid all the emotionally tortured punk guys will like me better than you.”

 

A grunt followed, “As if. Rachel was all I ever needed, fuck those pretty boys.”

 

A beat passed before Chloe quickly realized her mistake, “Is, not was, is…”

 

The tap dripped slowly in the background as Max stared at Chloe, trying to discern her expression. Her friend shifted uncomfortably against the doorframe. She decidedly moved away from the bathroom and back in to her room, and Max quickly followed suit, plopping beside her on the bed.

 

As much as Max always hated being one upped by this supposed goddess Rachel, she also hated that weird sense of desperate gloom that Chloe had when she talked about her.

 

Max placed an arm around her shoulder and gave her a sloppy hug, “We’ll find your friend. I promise, we’ll see it through.”

 

“Max…” Chloe shifted in her grasp, weaseling her way out of the hug to give her friend an unsteady gaze, “I love her.”

 

Her eyes fell with her voice, almost self-consciously.

 

_Oh. That definitely... Makes sense._

The infatuated way in which Chloe spoke about Rachel probably should’ve given it away, and yet Max had been quite oblivious until now. It wasn’t that she thought it was wrong that her friend was in love with someone of the same gender; rather, it just didn’t occur to her as a possibility.

 

Max gave her arm a firm squeeze this time, “Love always finds a way, or so they say, right? Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”

 

“So… it doesn’t upset you?”

“Huh? You should be upset if anything. And I’m a progressive person, Chloe. I’m not gonna suddenly look down on you or anything.”

 

Chloe rolled her eyes and gave her a shove, “Not that you dork. I… Well… I kinda thought you had a big ol’ gay crush on me and were gonna be shattered by the news, to be honest.”

 

“ _W-what?”_ Max managed to choke on her own saliva as she blabbed, displaying once again her impeccable talent at failing to control her body.

 

She shrugged as Max worked through her coughs, “Just saying. You _are_ always beaming at me and are super excited about being my friend again, even though I’m kind of a bitch.”

 

“Chloe, you’re my _best friend_ ,” Max leaned back on the bed after wiping the spit that leaked from the corner of her mouth, turning on her side, “You just… get me. You know how I am and how hard it can be… You just accept me for being a total weirdo and roll with it.”

 

“Yeah,” She huffed, “I credit that to my dad. He did a lot of amazing work with you, you know? I’d be a total shithead if it weren’t for him… I fucking hate that he left me behind.”

 

“Chloe…”

 

She lay back with a heavy sigh, joining Max as she stretched out across the old creaky mattress before adding, “Shit. I need to stop getting so mopey.”

 

A joint made it’s way from her jeans pocket in an instant. She always seemed to have an infinite supply hidden on her.

 

“Lemme blaze and then let’s bounce,” She laughed, “You ready Mad Max?”

 

Max nodded distractedly, still processing over Chloe’s thoughts.

 

_Williams still here, always watching over us. He’d never leave you by choice. He loves you._

A hand ruffled in her hair, as if Chloe could hear her thoughts, and she looked back up at her to share a melancholy smile.

/

 

“Noooo way!”

 

The bass throbbed under her skin as she lounged lazily, body sunken in to the couch like a mold. The normally uncomfortable fabric was welcomed as a warm hug against her back. One of Nathan’s arms draped loosely over her shoulder, hand lightly rubbing her arm as their high started to really sink in.

 

“You got rocked.”

 

“Dude, pass me one!”

 

“Like, she totally made a move on him, even though...”

 

Chatter buzzed all around them against the roaring tide of the music. They had just finished a game of fuck the dealer, and the round had ended on Courtney, much to Victoria’s smug delight. She was currently in a daze, cursing to herself across the table.

 

Hayden had just finished prepping the bong and passing it around their circle, not that anyone needed it. Everyone already appeared to be a giggly sloppy mess, but of course most couldn’t skip on the offer, including herself.

 

Her jaw was starting to quiver, and the air felt thick with awareness, sending her body into a euphoric assault of heightened input. The room took on a slight sway as she relaxed further in to the cushion, and a pleasant buzz blurred the edges.

 

“Who’s that?”

 

“Is that Max? Who the fuck let that loser in?”

 

After a slight delay, Victoria whipped her head around to face the source of attention, watching as the girl in question entered through their makeshift curtain door in to their elitist lounge.

 

_Huh?_

 

Nathan recoiled beside her and retracted his arm, and she instantly found herself missing it and hugged herself at the vacant chill.

 

His voice was hoarse, “Rachel!?”

 

“Uh, um, no,” Max stammered, betraying her new look by being her usual socially incompetent self. The group fell silent as she approached, and Max kept her head down towards the floor.

 

Nathan sat hunched forward in his seat, with a rigid frown that reached to the lines of his forehead, “Oh. _You_ finally arrived.”

 

“You invited _her_ in _here_?” Victoria looked back and forth between the two with racing pupils. She was simultaneously fighting the strange glee that fluttered through her abdomen and the impending sense of dread.

 

_Oh god. She shouldn’t be here._

 

He shifted irritably, crossing one leg over the other in an attempt to appear casual. His foot jittered wildly as it hung in the air, “More like hipster-bitch invited herself, but yes.”

 

“W-well I could always leave, if you preferred, but that way you aren’t getting what you want.”

 

Victoria was almost impressed by her bravery.

“No,” Nathan said coolly, “You’re staying right here.”

 

Predatory eyes narrowed at her, and Nathan showcased what the pair of them usually did best, intimidation. Max looked pretty, admittedly, and Victoria found herself thoroughly enjoying the strange choice of dress-up despite their situation. She credited those thoughts to the drugs pumping through her system that continued to fill the air with intense vibrations.

 

Max had been giving her strange looks throughout the whole exchange. She looked oddly concerned, and maybe something else. Victoria found herself squirming under the scrutiny.  It felt too warm.

 

The grunge-garbed hipster reached in to her breast pocket, retrieving a bag. The atmosphere of the room felt like it shifted as Nathan leaned a little closer.

 

“Okay. Then I’ll stay here, in your party, and you stop with your vendetta against Chloe.” She spoke surprisingly even for someone of her stature being faced by their entire clique.  

 

_The hell? Max is doing Chloe’s bitch work now too?_

Nathan let out a riotous laugh, “I can’t believe she sends _you_ to do her dirty work, Lamefield. Couldn’t come and face me herself?”

 

Max shifted from heel to heel, chewing at the insides of her cheeks, “No. You don’t exactly make her feel… safe. ”

 

She was looking at Victoria again. It set aflame her insides in a race from head to toe. And Victoria hated every second of it.

 

Nathan was still chuckling darkly at her side, “And yet you’re here. Hand it over and take a seat.”

 

Hayden voluntarily shifted over on his side of the couch opposite to them, opening up a space for Max to sit, but she continued to stand her ground.

 

“I uh, think I’ll go sit over by uh,” She cast a quick glance over her shoulder, and jerked a thumb to where Juliet and Dana sat at a table by themselves, no doubt gossiping away or whatever else it was that they actually did. “Dana.”

 

He gave her a skeptical look then shrugged, but Victoria could see the impatient itch that lingered behind his eyes, “Drop it and do as you like.”

 

She did as she was told, tossing the bag on the table only to be snatched hungrily by Nathan, though nobody was sober enough to give it any real notice.

 

“Um,” Max’s eyes were on her now.

 

_No. Not here. Not you. Not in front of everyone._

 

Victoria quickly stood, rocking in place as she did so. She excused herself from the group and intended to march stoically for the bathroom, but ended up swaying and staggering ineptly as she found her way over instead.

 

Logan and some girl she didn’t care to know the name of were making out against the sink as she threw open the door, and she all but hissed at them to leave, “Get out.”

 

The nameless girl blinked vacantly back at her, but Logan dragged her along by the hand, giving Victoria an unapologetic glare as they left.

 

She sagged her weight over the sink as she gripped the sides of the porcelain, staring at her unblinking, monstrous eyes in the mirror. Her jaw was trembling slightly. Thinking coherently had become hard. She was way drunker than she had thought she’d already be, but shit, she felt good. Really good. It would’ve been perfect if the oversaturation of feeling didn’t leave her a bit nauseous as she waivered over the bowl.

 

She slowly removed her hands, raising them to rub the skin on the lengths of her arms, gradually making her way up to her cheeks. Every pore of her body felt so alive, and yet, she felt like she was slowing down. She felt like she wasn’t being fun enough.

 

It was due time for another drop. The excess of alcohol, she reasoned, was what left her with that tired feeling, and there was no half-assing it tonight.

 

A small baggy was retrieved from her purse, and she practically bounced with anticipation. Breaking a capsule in two, she dropped it in to the bottle of water that she carried with her.

 

“Relax,” She muttered, staring back in to the depths of the mirror, “Have fun. I’ve got this.”

 

/

 

_Damn, this is going nowhere._

 

Max always knew she was never much of a partygoer, but to say she was out of her element tonight was a severe understatement. Not only did she feel like an awkward bumbling nerd, but she hardly knew anyone in the weird premium lounge that the Vortex club was designated to. If it were up to her, she’d rather take a chance at beer pong out in the main area where everyone else resided.

 

“Wow, I didn’t even think you knew who I was,” Said Juliet with genuine shock.

 

Max had just rewound time for the fourth time already in their conversation, struggling in her attempts to win them over as an acquaintance. It was either that or she sat in the corner by herself, which she figured would draw more unwanted attention than she had already garnered.  

 

“Y-Yeah, well… Just because I’m quiet, doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

 

Dana seemed to be a rather excitable drunk. She hooked an arm through hers, suddenly destroying all semblance of her personal space, “I’m digging the new look you have. A bit too grunge for me but it’s an improvement. You should totally let me do your make-up next time though!”

 

_Jeepers, a next time? I sure hope not._

 

“Oh uh, I dunno,” She mused, “Thanks for the offer but this isn’t really my scene…”

 

She careened her neck to try and peer over Juliet’s shoulder. The main group was split up, most of them jumping around madly to the booming electronic synth. Despite her limited experience with parties, nothing really struck her as too far out of the ordinary.

 

Victoria suddenly came in to view, having rejoined her friends after her little detour. She looked more spaced out than Max normally felt, which was a bit unsettling. An insistent urge to go and talk to her nagged at the back of Max’s mind, even though she had the feeling that Victoria wanted nothing to do with her tonight.

 

“Who’ve _you_ got your eye on?” Juliet inquired in a very singsong manner. She turned to look where Max’s stare led, shielding her eyes against the harsh flashing lights.

 

Dana was giving her a playful stare, “Ooh. Hayden? No, too stoner. Bryce? He’s pretty cute. We should go dance with them!”

 

Before she could disagree, Dana was already tugging her towards the crowd of dancers, and Juliet was quick to join her on the other arm.

 

“Um, I appreciate it, but I don’t really...”

 

“Oh come on, live a little!”

 

The two of them were far stronger than their appearance led Max to believe. Though to be fair, one of them was a cheerleader. Max had a vague enough knowledge of the cheer sport to know that it took quite an impressive array of body strength.

 

As she was ushered nearer to the group, the familiar tall blonde practically fell in to them, with all the elegance of a baby giraffe.  

 

Juliet released her grip on Max to hold Victoria steady by the arm. She seemed a bit unnerved by her appearance.

 

“Ummm, sorry Victoria, didn’t mean to get in your way.”

 

“Awww don’t apologize… It’s just me,” Victoria was giggling like a young girl between hiccups, and Max had to restrain her jaw from falling.

 

“Ohh my god. I love your hair,” Victoria managed between breaths, that Max noticed came quite frequently, “You’re so pretty, Juliet.”

 

Juliet took a step back as Victoria combed a hand through her golden brown locks. She laughed nervously before casting Dana a glance as if sending an SOS signal by telepathy.

 

A freight train made it’s way from Dana’s mouth, and Max couldn’t help but wonder if that’s how people normally saw her when she talked, “Haha, um, Juliet, jeez, weren’t we just leaving? Lots of homework. We’re behind. Victoria, uh, maybe we should bring you over to Nathan?”

 

Victoria didn’t look like she was listening. She kept rubbing her arms as if she were cold while she nestled up next to Juliet, leaning most of her bodyweight against her.

 

“Hello? Vic?”

 

“Vic…Toria?”

 

Max thought she was just seeing things before, but Victoria’s jaw was definitely sliding in place, jittering back and forth with teeth clacking against each other every once in awhile. It was difficult at first to register under the inconsistent lighting, but up close she noticed that Victoria’s eyes were nearly swallowed by black.

_Oh. No. No, no, no. Is this what happened to Kate?_

 

“Come on,” Dana insisted, grabbing her on the opposite side from Juliet, “Let’s get you back over to Nathan,”

 

Alarm bells were going off in Max’s head, and she instinctively reached out at them. “No, wait! I’ll take her.”

 

The pair gave her an incredulous look.

 

“I-I mean, um,”

 

_Smooth, dumbass. Rewind and try again._

“I wanna… Go with… Maxine…” Victoria was mumbling against Juliet’s shoulder, smiling the whole while, and Max couldn’t help but find it a little disturbing. At least she saved her a redo.

 

Dana mouthed to her silently, “Will you be okay?” But Max doubted Victoria would be able to process it aloud anyways.

 

“Yeah,” She nodded firmly. There was no way she was letting her stay around the party, especially if she was going back to Nathan. She mentally scolded herself for not arriving sooner, and not keeping a close enough eye on the pair. It didn’t matter how much Victoria trusted him, there was something really unsettling about Nathan that Max couldn’t shake.

 

She reached an arm around Victoria’s side as the two passed her over, and the blonde was quick to wrap an arm around Max’s shoulder, enveloping her in a weird half-hug.

 

“Mm… You’re so warm.”

 

 _Hah_ …….

 

It felt like she cycled through a hundred shades of red.

 

She quickly offered Dana and Juliet a weak smile before jetting for the nearest emergency exit.

 

Victoria was surprisingly light for how tall she was. The hand Max had stabilizing her felt massive in comparison to her teeny waist. She would’ve been able to drag her along with ease if it weren’t for her erratic swaying and staggering throwing them off balance.

 

“Where are we going? I want to dance… Let’s go dance.” Her breath was hot against Max’s neck, causing her to shift uncomfortably.

 

“N-No, Victoria… We need to go. You should lie down.”

 

“But mmmfffine! Just… Cold.”

 

She was sweating really badly, and yet her teeth were still chattering. Her degrading state made Max increasingly nervous, but at least she was breathing, even if a bit unevenly. Max pulled her body closer despite her own reservations about the idea. The arising thought that anyone else could easily be in her place dragging Victoria out of the building at that moment terrified her.

 

“It’s just a short walk. We’re going to your room, then you can come back later, okay?”

 

“Okey dokey,” Victoria reciprocated her increase in closeness, nuzzling her face into Max’s shoulder.

 

_Drugs are so flippin’ weird._

The unlikely duo looped their way through the moonlit courtyard, stopping every now and then to readjust as Victoria squirmed in her deranged daze. Max kept a keen eye over her shoulder at every pause, silently praying that nobody from the party followed. If Nathan had tied Chloe up in his room, there was no saying what else he or anyone else involved could try to do.

 

They leaned against a lamppost for a moment as Max heaved Victoria higher up over her shoulder, as she had been gradually sagging towards the ground.

 

“Jeez, could you make this any harder?” She asked rhetorically.

 

“I could,” Victoria replied, much to Max’s surprise. A laugh shuddered in her chest before she inhaled shakily, “You’re really cute, Max.”

Max stood statue-esque. It took her a long pause to recover, “U-Um. Not much further. Let’s go.”

 

She frowned as they continued on.

 

_She’s completely lost her mind. That’s just a weird side effect, right? Over-affection? She said Juliet was pretty too. I wonder if it’s kind of like how Kate was making out with everyone..?_

 

A flush crept up at the thought, and she decided not to linger on it any more than she had to. Instead she picked up the pace, eyes set on the dorms.

 

“Maaaaaax.”

 

“Max.”

 

_At least she’s calling me Max now._

 

“Maxiiiiine.”

 

_Or not._

Her incessant bleating would’ve been highly amusing, if they were in a circumstance where they didn’t want the element of stealth on their side. But thankfully when they entered the dormitory halls, each passing door remained shut as they trudged across the shaggy stained carpeting. Everyone was either out, or shutting out the outside world and oblivious to anything extending past their personal havens.

 

“Here, your favorite stairwell. Just a little further.”

 

As they approached the top, Victoria gripped tightly onto the railing causing them to halt in their progress.

 

“I’mmm… sorry…”

 

“Huh?”

 

Victoria stirred free from Max’s support. With her other hand, she clasped Max’s splinted one, cradling it gently as if she was afraid she’d break it further.

 

“I’m sorry.” She repeated, with much more conviction.

 

Their faces weren’t even a foot apart, and Max found her stare far too intense, and the too large pupils that engulfed her copper and green irises left her feeling uneasy. She had to look away shortly after. It made her feel almost guilty to have that reaction.

 

“It’s okay.”

 

Max shrugged meekly as she stared at the wall behind her, flexing her hand and entwining Victoria’s fingers with her own. The action was oddly intimate, which she didn’t take in to account, but it was too late for going back on it without the fear of hurting Victoria’s feelings in her evidently fragile state.

When Max looked back, Victoria was pouting, and it made her chest feel like a brick sat atop it.

 

“No,” She shook her head back and forth, reminiscent of a small child.

 

“Hey,” Max gave her fingers a slight squeeze, “Don’t worry about it now, okay? Let’s just get you to your room.”

 

Victoria faintly squeezed back after a moment, and then ran her thumb along the exposed part of Max’s palm, which gave her a slight tickle.

 

“Mmmy keys...” She mumbled, “My purse… I don’t…Mmughh”

 

_Shit. It’s all probably back at the party._

 

A heavy sigh eased it’s way out of her. She didn’t know what she expected from her stakeout tonight, but it certainly wasn’t this.

 

_I’m not risking taking her back there… and no way I’m leaving her alone here… So I guess…_

“Come on, you can stay in my dorky hipster lair.”

 

/

 

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm cursed. My internet out here as been so wishy-washy that now I've been having problems updating on AO3 as well instead of just ff.net . T_T
> 
> But here it finally is!

**CHAPTER 14**

 

The room is spinning. An unfamiliar room.

 

Only the moon lights the space before her, filtering in from between the slats covering the window. It’s too dark for her to see.

_Who’s room is this?_

 

As she takes another step, it feels like the earth is thrown off its axis, and the ceiling and the floor trade places.

 

A familiar voice reaches her, but it takes her a moment to understand, “Shit, are you alright?”

 

_Maxine?_

 

She’s on the floor. It’s too cold against her skin. _She’s_ cold.

 

Warm hands are suddenly hooked under her arms, helping her up, heaving her onto something softer. A bed. She’s sitting upright now, staring into eyes that are blue.

 

No, not simply blue. A magnificent maelstrom of blue that rivals even the most picturesque of ocean views she’s seen in her nomadic youth, from Australia to Indonesia, to Vietnam to Greece.

 

Max leaves her for a moment to turn on a lamp. Shadows explode across the walls, dancing to and fro like mischievous imps; playful but sinister.

 

She squirms under their display, darting her eyes around as they parade. It’s not safe. She runs her hands back and forth across the blanket beneath her. It’s a bit rough, cheap, unlike her own luxurious sheets, but the feeling helps ease her mind, even if only a little.

 

“Victoria.”

 

A hand is on her shoulder with a firm grip, anchoring her.

 

The harbor is safe. The shadows have to cross an ocean to reach her.

 

“Mm-m-ax.” She replies. Her voice quivers and drags. Or is her hearing just off?

 

Hard plastic is pressed to her lips. She drinks greedily. She didn’t realize how thirsty she was. She doesn’t realize that she dons a coat of sweat.

 

Max has her phone out, tapping away madly as Victoria nurses the remainder of the bottle with shaking hands. She spills the remainder down her shirt, and her shivering increases in it’s fervor.

 

The brunette curses quietly to herself, tossing her phone aside. She’s rummaging around her room now, opening and closing drawers, wood clacking loudly against wood.

 

“Victoria… did Nathan make you take anything? Did he ever have access to your drinks?”

 

_No… No… Nathan… Me. All me._

She shakes her head rigorously back and forth.

 

“Victoria… I know you care about Nathan. But this… this isn’t okay. You need to tell me the truth.”

 

_Stupid._

“Mmme. M-mmy fault. Stupid. Sssorry.”

 

Max has a weird look on her face. It’s crinkled slightly, freckles scrunching closer to one another. She places something next to her on the bed.

 

“Your jaw is going crazy. I’m no expert but uh-um... _One_ remedy on the internet says that chewing gum helps. I’m going to the vending machine on the first floor. You should get changed, okay?”

 

Victoria nods weakly, and Max gives her a smile. It’s warm. Bright. And sad?

 

“I’ll be right back, okay?”

 

The door clicks closed. Silence envelops her as footsteps fade away.

 

She begins with the bangles on her wrists. Time doesn’t seem to move regularly. Her hands are sluggish and clumsy. Has she always been so slow? They fall to the floor with a clatter, and then she manages to worm her way out of her skirt with great effort.

 

The night air nips at her bare legs, and her smooth flesh erupts into an array of bumps. Another fit of shivers overtake her as she stares helplessly.

 

The pile beside her. She rakes a hand through it. Clothes. First, the fleece pants; she quickens her pace in anticipation of the comfort. She leans back on the bed, wiggling in to them. Reindeers are patterned on the legs, carting sleighs.

 

A shirt remains. She holds it out in front of her stretched wide. A tacky graphic stares back at her before she throws it back on the bed. Hers is still on, and still damp.

 

Frustration wells up when she moves on to fumbling with the buttons of her blouse. It’s tricky. It grates on her.

 

The doorknob clicks back open, only a sliver, and then Max enters. Victoria’s still only on her second button, vacant eyes creased in frustration at her own ineptitude.

 

“Oh, um,” Max is standing before her again, scratching at the side of her neck. After a moment of consideration she unwraps a piece of foil, handing Victoria a stick of blue.

 

Victoria blinks at it, looking back to Max.

 

_Why do you look like that?_

Her face is tense, “Y-you should um… chew on it. It’ll help your jaw.”

 

_My jaw?_

 

She places a hand to her face. It feels slightly tingly. Kind of numb. Her jaw is shaking, she remembers.

 

The stick becomes a thick minty paste as its grinded against her molars. Though refreshing, the taste and cooling sensation reminds her of how cold she feels.

 

Max is suddenly closer, radiating heat, a natural furnace. Her hands move unsteadily to the front of her shirt. They too, tremble slightly, but she manages to work much faster than Victoria could.

 

_Why?_

 

She wishes she would slow her pace. 

 

The brunette is quick to turn around when the last button is undone. But Victoria feels like she should be the one turning, in shame.

 

She eases out of the sleeves, and turns herself around. She fails miserably with her lifeless hands as they flounder at her back, trying to unlatch the clasp of her bra.

 

She wants to laugh. What’s even going on? How did it get to this? And then by some miracle, she manages to get it off. It makes her want to laugh even harder, but only a giggle manages to escape.

 

She pulls the shirt over her head. It’s too big for her. Probably too big for Max, too. And it smells nice, just like the sweater that Max gave her. She never did wash it.

 

 

She folds over on top of the bed, clutching herself. She wishes she was wearing it right now.

 

Hands prod her gently. They push her over on to her back.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Victoria.”

 

“Victoria?”

 

“Hmmmhhh?”

 

“Let’s get you under the covers, okay?”

 

“Hmmmmhhhmmmm.”

 

She opens her eyes again, though she never did realize that she closed them.

 

The room is spinning. An unfamiliar room.

 

This time she knowingly lets her eyes drift close, but even then, everything still spirals in the engulfing black.

 

/

_Crap. What if she chokes on the gum?_

 

Max stands at the side of the bed after she tucks the lanky blonde in. She doesn’t know how long she’s been standing there for, but she can’t bring herself to move away.

 

Victoria mumbles incoherently between gasps every now and then, tossing and turning as her body shakes uncontrollably. Max’s room isn’t _that_ cold. She even turned the small space heater on as they entered. But the thought doesn’t deter Victoria’s actions.

 

A heavy high escapes her. The whole ordeal left her feeling rather tired as well. She takes a few steps backwards, glancing behind before carefully sitting down on her little couch. The fabric is tearing at a corner seam, and she tugs at it absently.

 

_What did she mean, “my fault”?_

 

Unfolding a woolen throw blanket that was hung over the side of the armrest, she drapes it over her shoulders, enveloping herself in a cozy little cocoon.

 

Victoria continues to thrash about in the blankets across from her, eventually pressing herself into the nook between the wall and the bed. She looks so uncomfortable, so lost, and Max feels that weird tugging feeling in her chest not for the first time that night. She feels useless as she watches her.

 

_What the fuck am I supposed to do?_

 

Tonight was a horrendous failure. This was what she was supposed to be preventing. She scolded herself for spending too long playing dress-up at Chloe’s when she should’ve already been keeping an eye on the party.

 

“I don’t…” The blonde pauses and gulps for air, breathing raggedly, “Huuhhh…Whh-what’s going…”

 

Max nearly jumps and is at her side again in an instant, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Shhh. Victoria, hey. It’s okay.”

 

_I hope._

 

“Mmax,” She whines.

 

It’s a barely audible whisper, but it lances straight through her chest like a copper round. She’s never been shot before, but she’s sure that this is what it would feel like.

 

Victoria stirs, turning to grab Max by the arm, then tugging at her sleeve.

 

“Cold,” She murmurs with closed eyes. Her forehead is creased with worry as her teeth chatter. Her grip doesn’t ease as she tugs again, and the gears slowly churn in Max’s head.

 

_Does she…?_

 

“Hhhhhu…. Please…?”

 

Her throat immediately feels drier than it did before. She swallows.

 

Chloe and her would always hug affectionately, and often sleep together in the same bed. It couldn’t be any different with Victoria, could it? She shrugs, more at herself than anything.

 

Victoria returns to mumbling inarticulately, loosening her grip on Max’s arm but still managing to cling on. Max continues to stand above her, staring dumbly for a moment longer before making up her mind.

 

She was still wearing her clothes from before, but she couldn’t bring herself to care as she carefully slid herself under the comforter, in a way as not to disturb the blonde. But as soon as her body eases on to the bed, Victoria quickly buries herself into Max’s side.

 

She was still shaking, uncontrollably so, and Max found herself looping an arm around Victoria’s back to pull her closer into her own warmth.

 

The situation scared her. As much as she could find online, she didn’t really know if reading through random forums about people recreationally using drugs was a reliable enough source. But the pained looks that crossed Victoria’s face in flashes probably meant she was scared too, so Max tried her hardest to remain calm for both of their sakes.

 

She took a few deep breaths, counting slowly with the rise and fall of her chest as she stared at the ceiling. Tacky glow in the dark stars stared back at her, patterned in inaccurate scales of actual constellations that lay beyond the roof above them. She absently trails her hand up and down Victoria’s back in the shapes of them.

 

“What am I… What am I supposed to do? I-I don’t know how to help you...” She thought aloud, not expecting a response.

 

A warm pressure was applied to her shoulder. Victoria’s head moved to rest there, eyes blinking searchingly at the wall across from them.

 

“You… are,” She sighs, nestling her head along the crook of her shoulder to find a more comfortable spot.

 

Max swallows again, then smiles a little. It strikes her as odd, but she wants to laugh. Though she can’t muster the energy to in that moment, and probably for the better.

 

“It doesn’t feel like it.”

 

“You’re hhhh… good friend, Mmmax.”

 

Her chest begins to feel slightly uncomfortable, like the inner volume has swelled up to twice it’s size, but her smile broadens with it.

 

“You are too,” She replies quietly, giving Victoria a reassuring squeeze, “Even if you refuse to acknowledge it.”

 

 

/

 

She blinks her eyes, struggling to keep them open against the weight of her fatigue. A sense of disorientation masks her reality as she struggles to make out the dark silhouettes around her.

 

This isn’t her room.

 

She tries to move, but her limbs are still asleep and locked in to place.

 

Something shifts beneath her. The bed is moving? The bed is awfully uneven, now that she thinks about it.

 

Tilting her head up, she catches a glance of Max’s face, awash in moonlight. Her eyes are closed, and Victoria can register herself rising and falling with Max’s breathing, as she lies pressed to her chest.

 

_I’m dreaming. This is a dream. A weird dream._

 

Her eyes drift shut.

 

When she opens them next, she’s alone, the memories of the hazy scene still fresh in her mind.

 

Except, after a few moments, she realizes that she’s in the same room. Her head aches, cogs chugging along slowly and in dire need of some maintenance.

 

A guitar is strumming softly in the background, and Victoria turns to see Max sitting on the couch, gently humming the melody along to the chords.

 

_Maxine? I’m in Max’s room?_

 

Even though she’s just humming, her voice strikes Victoria as pretty. Everything about her presence feels intrusive, like she’s ruining some kind of intimate moment that’s only meant for the emptiness of space and time to witness; yet she can’t manage to tear her eyes away.

 

The song ends, and Max looks up and catches her stare, flushing a deep shade of pink that somehow manages to make her freckles look darker.

 

“Oh, uh,” She quickly places the guitar down, resting it against the side of the couch, “H-hey. Sorry, did I wake you?”

 

_It was a dream, right?_

Victoria pushes herself upright. She feels awfully sluggish, and she notices she’s wearing different clothes.

 

A million questions rush in to her head as she slowly tries to piece together the night before, but all she manages to say is, “I didn’t know you could play guitar.”

 

“W-Well, just a little, I’m not that-“

 

“You’re really good,” She says firmly, raising a hand to rub her jaw. It feels remarkably sore. The reason as to why slowly starts to trickle back in to the fissures of her cloudy recollection of the night prior. The party, the party favors, the loss of control…

 

Max shrugs sheepishly, dropping her eyes from Victoria’s. She tugs at the sleeves of her shirt, rather, Rachel’s shirt, as she studies the floor, “Only because I practice. And music is… kind of like math, in a way. Or entirely like math, depending on how you look at it. But, um, saying that kind of detracts meaning from it, doesn’t it?”

 

Victoria groggily returns the shrug, having not really absorbed anything that she said, but finding it interesting nonetheless. It strikes her as strange that she’s been finding Max’s oddities increasingly charming rather than irritable.

 

Stretching out the t-shirt a little, she takes a good look at it for the first time. A cartoon of a grinning seal with a raised flipper folded in what she assumes is a thumbs-up gesture sits in the middle of it, without any further explanation.

 

“A seal of approval,” Max chimes in, watching her timidly.

 

“Oh.”

 

“Err... Y-Yeah, I know, it’s really stupid, but, um…”

 

“No, it’s clever, I’m just… slow.”

 

Max shifts uncomfortably, and lifts her legs off the floor to fold them beneath her crisscrossed. “Slow,” She repeats, uncertainty wavering in her tone, “Victoria… How much do you, um… What do you remember? Are you okay?”

 

The awkwardness of the situation finally sinks in, and she looks to the reindeer adorning her legs, as if they can offer her any reprieve. Its two questions too many for her to process. She would’ve taken the blabbering small talk any day over the sudden assault.

 

_I slept here. I was a mess last night._

_Max took... care of me?_

Victoria frowns, hugging her arms to her chest. She feels in desperate need of a shower, and admittedly self-conscious of the fact.

 

_I’m fucking pathetic._

“… Toria?”

 

She looks over at Max, who immediately avoids her gaze.

 

“I was, well… You had me worried,” She shrugs as if nonchalantly, but her body language betrays her as she picks away neurotically at the skin along her nails.

 

_Worry? About me?_

It feels like an infinity passes in her mind as she struggles to find an appropriate answer. She wants to cry just then, unable to fathom why. All she can think of is how undeserving she is.

 

“Whatever,” She scoffs, brushing it off in an attempt to regain her composure, “I just… got a little out of hand. It’s no big deal. It happens.”

 

It’s all in vain, a part of her knows. There’s no end in sight to the trench she’d dug. But she tries anyways, hoping with all her might that by some miracle, she can emerge unscathed. That she can emerge from the pit as the immaculate figure of power she’s used to being.

 

Max continues to stare at the floor, perhaps more contemplatively than blankly. There’s a frown tugging at the corner of her lips, and guilt starts to chew away at Victoria’s insides like rising bile.

 

A strong voice startles her, and she almost doesn’t recognize that it’s Max, “No. It _is_ a big deal, Victoria. That was… That was scary. That was _fucked up_. If I hadn’t been there... I don’t even know what would’ve happened to you.”

 

She wants to scream back. She wants to hide and pretend the world doesn’t exist, that _Max_ doesn’t exist. But she sits there, fixed in a deadlock with the brilliant blues that stare back, shards of ice that can cut right through her.

 

Victoria settles for groaning, dragging a hand roughly through her short disgruntled hair, “I don’t need your help, Maxine. I would’ve been _fine_ , and I’m not your responsibility. Whatever happens is my problem. I would’ve had it under control, anyways.”

 

The brunette almost looks angry, her brows drawing closer together with every other word that exits Victoria’s mouth. 

 

“You couldn’t even walk on your own,” She fumes, her normally soft voice rising formidably, “How are you supposed to rely on yourself like that? You _did_ need help. And there’s nothing wrong with needing help.”

 

“Don’t-

 

“I’m _here for you as a friend_ , Victoria, whether you like it or not.”

 

Her blood practically is practically sizzling, her will unable to contain what spills over. It’s too much. Her immediate instinct is to run away, but she’s reminded that her door is locked when she scans the room and sees that her purse’s presence is lacking. She’s trapped. An animal in cage, forced to deal with and at the mercy of the beast that emerges. And Max just happens to be trapped with them.

 

“I don’t _need_ your pity or your _friendship_ ,” She says mutely with an evident bitterness, though she had intended for it to be a yell. “I’ve always relied on myself and I always will. And if I fuck up, I don’t… I don’t care, it doesn’t matter… I don’t… ”

 

Her voice fractures, and she claps a hand over her mouth, turning in the bed to face the wall. She needs to be alone, to ride out the crash in her own domain where no eyes can witness her weakness. Where the silence of her room can be the embodiment of her hollowness.

 

Life would be so much bearable if she could just fade in and out on a whim, she can’t help but think.

 

The bed shifts, and warm arms are suddenly encircling her in a firm vice that still manages to be tender. She nearly jumps at the contact, and immediately stiffens in response, too scared of her thoughts to allow herself to speak.

 

“I’m here for you, Victoria,” Max mumbles, her voice reverberating against Victoria’s back as her face presses in to it, ”I… I don’t know what your deal is, but… you don’t need to do things alone.”

 

 _I do_ , She thinks, but doesn’t verbalize.

 

She simply sits there, rooted in place. It doesn’t hit her that’s she’s crying until tears roll down across her hand.

 

/

 

Max doesn’t know what drives her to take that leap.

 

She never did have a good impression of personal boundaries when she was younger, but over time she had learned to create that separation, thanks to Chloe’s dad. Though thankful for all the time they spent brushing up on her social skills, it created this fear in her, a fear of making people uncomfortable by crossing those imposed lines.

 

Why was physical contact often considered so unwarranted? It always struck her as an oddity.

 

So as she’s sitting there, hugging Victoria, she can’t help but wonder whether it was the right thing to do or not in that situation.

 

The blonde starts to quiver after some time has passed, her shoulders twitching with snivels that seem to echo through the quiet room. Max quickly releases her grip, shuffling away onto the edge of the bed.

 

_Shit. Good going, Max. You made her cry._

What was she supposed to do to comfort her if that didn’t work? Perhaps Max was the one who was supposed to be left on her own, not Victoria.

 

“I, I um… Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

 

“I’m _not_ crying.” Victoria shoots back, though even a blind man could tell otherwise.

 

Max sighs, tugging at the hem of her shirt. It was as if Victoria had an extra ten dimensions to solve compared to the normal puzzle problems that people resembled to her.

 

“Can you... um, explain what you meant last night? When you said it was your fault?”

 

A long while drags by before any reply comes, and Max wonders for a moment if Victoria chose to ignore her, or simply fell back asleep.

 

“It wasn’t Nathan, if that’s what you’re going after,” She grumbles, clearly irate with a number of things.

 

“Victoria…” Max beings slowly, trying to approach it delicately as to not to upset her any further, “You need to stop defending him. What you were like last night… It kind of reminds me of how Kate was in that video.”

 

“It was just…” Victoria pauses in an internal debate, and her next muttered words are rather unexpected. “Me being stupid, _okay_? It happened. I’m sorry I’m not _fucking perfect_. Any resemblance to what happened to Kate is just coincidence. Who knows, maybe she just wanted to let loose like me.”

 

Max hums disapprovingly after a beat, “Nathan’s the only one with ties to the Blackwell party buying heavy drugs, it has to be more than just coincidence… And you know Kate well enough to know that that isn’t true.”

 

“Look,” She sighs, “I’m too tired to argue anymore. But maybe you should cover all your bases before jumping to conclusions so fast. Nate’s been weird but he isn’t going around drugging girls.”

 

Victoria blows out another wearied gust of air, “If anything, I think he’s still just really torn up over _Rachel_.”

 

The way she says her name has an edge of disgust to it, immediately piquing Max’s interest. She tries hard to mask her curiosity but fails, “You two knew Rachel?”

 

“Ugh. _Everyone_ knew Rachel. And everyone was head over heels for little miss perfect, including Nate. He can hardly sleep at night now.”

 

_Rachel and Nathan were close? Does that mean he might have something to do with…_

 

A chill creeps up her spine. Too much was unknown to start drawing judgments, but her mind goes there on it’s own whim. There are a million questions that Max wants to ask, but somehow she manages to stifle her inquiring barrage for a change. Despite their closeness, she suspected that Victoria was as much in the dark as she was, and she didn’t want to push the blonde any further in her fragile state.

 

“Huh.” Max verbalizes dumbly after realizing she was getting lost in her thoughts again, more to just acknowledge the conversation than anything else.

 

They both sit there for a few moments longer, and then Victoria begins to laugh a little. It’s almost unnerving at first, but then Max begins to laugh along, unable to guard herself against the infectious sound. The bizarre chorus fills the quiet morning air, eventually dying down as Victoria hiccoughs break her bubbly spell.

 

A heavy sigh resounds, and Max can hear the crumpling of the sheets as Victoria draws them up around her, “God, this is so embarrassing. I just want to go home.”

 

Max nods to herself, chancing a glance behind her at Victoria. She was sitting upright with the blanket shrouded around her like some kind of cowl, peering out in a child-like manner. It was definitely unbefitting of the queen bee image she tried so hard to uphold, and rather preferable in Max’s opinion. But as much as she found it amusing, she couldn’t help but notice how shallow and thin her face looked.

 

/

 

A familiar jingle of metal immediately catches her attention, taking her away from the spiraling thoughts that resumed after her exclamation.

 

She tilts her head up, and it takes a hefty amount of restraint for her to hold back from snatching the keys dangling in Max’s grasp.

 

“Where did you get those?!” She snips, not without an accusatory tone.

 

“You um… Slept in for awhile, so I went to go ask Taylor and she happened to have them.”

 

An audible groan escapes her.

 

_Well fuck._

 

No point in trying to cover up her tracks now. She wants to hate Max in that moment, but fails in her execution, redirecting it all towards herself for being so careless in her planning. There was no other way that the unfolding of events could’ve been any more awkward for Victoria.

 

_Unless I actually slept with Max, then things would…_

Her thoughts cease there as a blush quickly seeps in. No, she won’t open that can of worms and face any more prospective shame.

 

She rests her head on a hand, rubbing at her temples. It’s all a headache. An unnecessary, idiotically induced headache.

 

_No more drinking. No more drugs._

 

“Vic… Toria?”

 

_No more Max._

 

She then makes up her mind, swiping the keys out of the brunette’s hand. A twinge of guilt lances in her gut as Max flinches from her actions.

 

“I’ll return your clothes later,” She slings out in an unintelligible mumble as she quickly disentangles herself from the sheets and hops out of the bed.

 

She sways as she gets up on her feet, and is concerned for a moment that she might even spill over. Her bones creak with her movements. She feels as if she aged forty years overnight.

 

A hand clasps on to a wrist as she takes her first step, cold plastic pressing against her skin. Victoria really hated that splint. Probably more than Max did.

 

“Um, I…You…”

 

She turns over her shoulder to see Max staring at the floor, hiding behind a curtain of hair.

 

Victoria sighs inwardly, a mental tug-of-war following suit. Why did she always have to feel torn about her decisions with Max? Why couldn’t she just continue on with her strong self-preserving attitude she would so often practice with others?

 

“Max,” She begins hesitantly, licking her lips, “I just… I just need to be alone,” She offers, not far from the truth.

 

A subtle nod answers. Calloused fingertips slowly drag away from her wrist, and she swallows involuntarily.

 

_Are those from playing guitar?_

 

She feels unbearably heavy as she makes her way to the door, and not just because of her weight. Pausing before closing it behind her, she looks back in to the room. Max is still staring at the floor, fidgeting with her folded hands in her lap.

 

“I’m sorry,” She whispers before shutting the sliver of light, unsure of whether it was heard or not, and hoping just as strongly for either possibility.

 

The door presses hard against her back as she leans against it, allowing herself a break before journeying in to her solitude. All the emotional flip-flopping of the morning left her feeling severely exhausted on top of the hangover.

 

“Who am I supposed to be?” She mutters aloud to the empty hall before her before pushing off and crossing the space to her room.

 

“ _You’re a good friend, Max.”_

 

“ _You are too, even if you refuse to acknowledge it.”_

 

 


End file.
